Class 5 · Mathematics
Fractions and decimals
📘 Chapter notes
The key ideas of this chapter, answered through the six guiding questions. Read them with your textbook.
1What am I looking at?
Answer: Working with fractions and decimal numbers and changing one into the other.
2What are its main parts or ideas?
Answer: Decimal places: tenths, hundredths, thousandths; 0.5 = 5/10 = ½.
3How does it work?
Answer: Line up decimal points to add or subtract; to change a fraction to a decimal, divide numerator by denominator.
4Why is it important?
Answer: Money, measurement and marks use decimals and fractions.
5What happens if something changes?
Answer: Multiplying by 10 moves the decimal point one place right.
6What should I remember for the exam?
Answer: Operations on fractions (LCM for unlike denominators) and decimals, and conversions.
📗 Full lesson: Fractions and decimals
This topic comes from GayaGnan's India-wide K–12 catalog. It is not copied from, or an official chapter of, any board's textbook: check your board's syllabus for the exact chapter and depth. Open as its own page →
🧊 3D / visual
🧊 3D
ℹ️ Pieces drawn equal; real slices vary.
VIS-005 · Bar chart, histogram, pie chart, scatter plot — Change data and observe graph
🎯 Learning outcomes
- Represent, compare and find equivalent fractions
- Add and subtract like fractions
- Connect tenths and hundredths to decimals
Before you start: Halves and quarters as equal parts.
📖 Explanation
A fraction has a numerator (parts taken) and a denominator (equal parts in the whole). ¾ means 3 of 4 equal parts.
Equivalent fractions name the same amount: ½ = 2⁄4 = 4⁄8, found by multiplying top and bottom by the same number. To compare fractions with the same denominator, compare numerators; with the same numerator, the smaller denominator gives bigger parts.
A decimal is another way to write tenths and hundredths: 3⁄10 = 0.3 and 25⁄100 = 0.25. Money uses decimals: ₹12.50 is 12 rupees 50 paise.
A recipe for upma needs 0.5 kg of rava, which is the same as ½ kg or 500 g.
✗ ⅓ is smaller than ¼ because 3 is smaller than 4
✓ A smaller denominator means fewer, bigger pieces, so ⅓ > ¼.
🧪 Try this activity
Fold paper strips into halves, quarters and eighths. Line them up to find equivalent fractions.
✍️ Question bank with answers
Tap an option to check multiple-choice answers. Open “Answer” or “Marking points” for the others.
-
Which is equal to ½?
Answer
D. 3⁄6
3⁄6 simplifies to ½ by dividing both by 3.
-
2⁄7 + 3⁄7 =
Answer
B. 5⁄7
Same denominator: add numerators, 2 + 3 = 5.
-
Which decimal equals 7⁄100?
Answer
A. 0.07
7 hundredths is written 0.07.
-
Which is greater, ⅖ or ⅗?
Answer
⅗
-
Write 0.6 as a fraction.
Answer
6⁄10, which is 3⁄5
-
Show that ⅔ = 4⁄6.
Marking points
- Multiply numerator and denominator by 2
- 2 × 2 = 4 and 3 × 2 = 6
-
Ravi ate ⅜ of a cake and Sita ate ²⁄₈. What fraction did they eat together, and what is left?
Marking points
- ⅜ + ²⁄₈ = ⅝
- Left: 1 − ⅝ = ⅜
-
A ribbon is 1 m long. You cut 0.35 m. How much is left?
Answer
- 1.00 − 0.35
- 0.65 m
-
Shade 0.4 of a strip divided into 10 equal parts.
Answer
4 of the 10 parts shaded
-
Find 1⁄4 of ₹200.
Answer
- ₹200 ÷ 4
- ₹50
🎲 Practice more
A new set of questions every time you press the button. Tap an option to check it and see why. Maths, science, computer and commerce sets get fresh numbers and pictures on every try.
Turn on JavaScript to get practice sets.
🎯 Learning objective: Represent fractions and convert them to decimals and percentages.
💬 Questions and answers
1What am I looking at?
Answer: A circle divided into equal parts with some parts lifted out.
2What are its parts? (click a part to identify it)
Answer: Numerator (parts taken) and denominator (equal parts in the whole).
3How does it work?
Answer: The denominator splits the whole into equal parts; the numerator counts how many are taken.
4Why is it important?
Answer: Fractions are used in sharing, measuring, recipes, discounts and percentages.
5What happens if I change something? (use the sliders)
Answer: Change the numerator and denominator and read the decimal and percentage.
6What should I remember for the exam?
Answer: Fraction → percentage: divide and multiply by 100. 1/4 = 25%, 3/4 = 75%, 1/8 = 12.5%.