How To Convert Whole Numbers To Fractions

Whole numbers are non-negative numbers that haven't been broken into smaller parts. For instance, the numbers two and five are whole numbers. Fractions express division from a whole number into smaller parts that may or may not themselves be whole numbers. For instance, the fraction 4/2 represents the division of the whole number four into two parts, each of which is equal to the whole number two. The fraction 4/3, however, represents the division of the whole number 4 into three parts, of which each is equal to the non-whole number 1.33.

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1. Write the Whole Number as a Fraction Over One

Divide the whole number by one to turn it into a temporary fraction. So if you wanted to turn the whole number four into a fraction, you would start by turning it into the fraction 4/1.

2. Choose A New Denominator

Choose a fraction size to convert the whole number into. For instance, if you wanted to turn the whole number four (which you expressed as 4/1 in Step 1) into halves, you would choose the number two. To turn it into quarters, you would choose four, and so on.

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3. Multiply Both Numerator and Denominator

Multiply both the numerator and denominator by the value you chose in step 2. So to turn the whole number 4 into halves, you would multiply 4/1 by 2/2 and reach a value of 8/2. This completes the conversion of the whole number four into a fraction.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Here are a few additional examples:

Convert the whole number 4 into a fraction using 4 as the denominator:

4/1 × 4/4 = 16/4

Convert the whole number 6 into a fraction using 3 as the denominator:

6/1 × 3/3 = 18/3

Cite This Article

MLA

Saxena, Vivek. "How To Convert Whole Numbers To Fractions" sciencing.com, https://www.sciencing.com/convert-fractions-whole-numbers-8570931/. 30 April 2018.

APA

Saxena, Vivek. (2018, April 30). How To Convert Whole Numbers To Fractions. sciencing.com. Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/convert-fractions-whole-numbers-8570931/

Chicago

Saxena, Vivek. How To Convert Whole Numbers To Fractions last modified March 24, 2022. https://www.sciencing.com/convert-fractions-whole-numbers-8570931/

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