Skill: Identify halves

A half is one of two equal-sized parts of a whole. We write a half as $\tfrac{1}{2}$.

Example: A strip is $8$ centimeters long. It is divided into two parts: one part is $4$ centimeters long, and the other part is $4$ centimeters long. The first part is shaded.

1. Count the parts: there are $2$ parts.
2. Check their sizes: both parts are $4$ centimeters long, so they are equal.
3. Since the whole is split into two equal parts, each part is a half.
4. The shaded part is $\tfrac{1}{2}$ of the strip.

The two halves together make the whole: $\tfrac{1}{2}+\tfrac{1}{2}=1$.