Anna likes working with fractions and understands the equality and inequality lessons with Fraction Bars.
After class she asks her teacher how to tell which is greater, 4/9 or ½, because she does not have a Fraction Bar for 4/9. Devise a way to help her using the Fraction Bars model she understands.
To help Anna compare the fractions 4/9 and 1/2 using Fraction Bars, we can create fraction bars for both fractions.
First, draw a unit bar representing 1 whole.
Next, divide the unit bar into equal parts to represent the denominator of each fraction. For 4/9, divide the unit bar into 9 equal parts. For 1/2, divide the unit bar into 2 equal parts.
Color in 4 of the 9 parts for 4/9 and color in 1 of the 2 parts for 1/2.
Now, ask Anna to see which fraction bar is longer or larger in length. The longer bar represents the greater fraction. In this case, she will notice that the bar representing 4/9 is longer than the bar representing 1/2, indicating that 4/9 is greater than 1/2.
By visually comparing the length of the fraction bars, Anna can determine which fraction is greater even without having a Fraction Bar specifically for 4/9.