In all the fractions we have seen so far, the top number (numerator) has been smaller than the bottom number (denominator).
This means that these fractions are always less than one.
If we want to work with numbers greater than one, we need to use improper fractions or mixed numbers.
Improper fractions have a larger numerator than denominator.
The fraction | can also be written as 1 | . This is explained below: | ||
We can also see that | can be written as 3 | . | ||
The numbers 1 | and 3 | are called mixed numbers because they have a whole number part and a fraction part. | ||
We can also convert mixed numbers back into improper fractions.
The mixed number 4 | can also be written as | . This is explained below: | ||
Practice Questions
Work out the answer to each of these questions then click on the button marked
to see whether you are correct.
(a) What is | as a mixed number? | |
(b) What is 4 | as an improper fraction? | |
 
Question 1
Convert these improper fractions into mixed numbers.
Question 2
Convert these mixed numbers into improper fractions.
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