Step-by-step Maths Level 3: Quarters of shapes and amounts
Part of the Step-by-step Maths Level 3 halves and quarters chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Quarters of shapes and amounts
A quarter is one of four equal parts. Four quarters make one whole.
To find a quarter of a number, share it into four equal groups and take one group.
Key ideas
- A quarter is one of four equal parts.
- Four quarters make a whole.
- To find a quarter, divide by 4.
Method. A shape is split into quarters only when there are 4 equal parts.
- Count the parts. We need 4 equal parts to be quarters.4 parts
- Check the parts are the same size. Equal parts must be the same size.the parts are equal
- Write the answer. There are 4 parts and they are all the same size.yes
Check. Check the size of each part by eye: all must match.
Watch out. Equal parts are the same size. Count the parts and check each one.
Method. Divide the number into equal parts, then take the number of parts the fraction says.
- Split 20 into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.20 ÷ 4 = 5
- Take 1 of the groups. 1/4 means 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 5 = 5
- Write the answer. This is the amount for the fraction.5
Check. Check: 5 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 5.
Watch out. The bottom number tells you how many equal groups to split into. The top number tells you how many to take.
Method. Divide the number into equal parts, then take the number of parts the fraction says.
- Split 24 into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.24 ÷ 4 = 6
- Take 1 of the groups. 1/4 means 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 6 = 6
- Write the answer. This is the amount for the fraction.6
Check. Check: 6 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 6.
Watch out. The bottom number tells you how many equal groups to split into. The top number tells you how many to take.
Watch out
Watch out. A quarter is one of FOUR equal parts, not one of two. 1/4 of 20 is 5, not 10.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Fold paper in half, then in half again. Count the four parts, then colour one.
Exercise 8B Practice: quarters
Non-calculatorMethod. A shape is split into quarters only when there are 4 equal parts.
- Count the parts. We need 4 equal parts to be quarters.4 parts
- Check the parts are the same size. Equal parts must be the same size.the parts are equal
- Write the answer. There are 4 parts and they are all the same size.yes
Check. Check the size of each part by eye: all must match.
Watch out. Equal parts are the same size. Count the parts and check each one.
Method. A shape is split into quarters only when there are 4 equal parts.
- Count the parts. We need 4 equal parts to be quarters.4 parts
- Check the parts are the same size. Equal parts must be the same size.the parts are equal
- Write the answer. There are 4 parts and they are all the same size.yes
Check. Check the size of each part by eye: all must match.
Watch out. Equal parts are the same size. Count the parts and check each one.
Method. Count the equal parts for the bottom number, and the shaded parts for the top number.
- Count the equal parts. The shape is split into 4 equal parts.4 equal parts
- Count the shaded parts. 1 of the 4 parts are shaded.1 shaded
- Write the fraction. The shaded parts go on top. The number of equal parts goes underneath.1/4
Check. Check: 1 shaded parts out of 4 equal parts.
Watch out. The bottom number counts all the equal parts, shaded or not.
Method. A shape is split into quarters only when there are 4 equal parts.
- Count the parts. We need 4 equal parts to be quarters.4 parts
- Check the parts are the same size. Equal parts must be the same size.the parts are not equal
- Write the answer. The parts are not all the same size, so it is not split into equal parts.no
Check. Check the size of each part by eye: all must match.
Watch out. Equal parts are the same size. Count the parts and check each one.
Method. A shape is split into quarters only when there are 4 equal parts.
- Count the parts. We need 4 equal parts to be quarters.4 parts
- Check the parts are the same size. Equal parts must be the same size.the parts are not equal
- Write the answer. The parts are not all the same size, so it is not split into equal parts.no
Check. Check the size of each part by eye: all must match.
Watch out. Equal parts are the same size. Count the parts and check each one.
Method. Count the equal parts for the bottom number, and the shaded parts for the top number.
- Count the equal parts. The shape is split into 4 equal parts.4 equal parts
- Count the shaded parts. 3 of the 4 parts are shaded.3 shaded
- Write the fraction. The shaded parts go on top. The number of equal parts goes underneath.3/4
Check. Check: 3 shaded parts out of 4 equal parts.
Watch out. The bottom number counts all the equal parts, shaded or not.
Method. A shape is split into quarters only when there are 4 equal parts.
- Count the parts. We need 4 equal parts to be quarters.4 parts
- Check the parts are the same size. Equal parts must be the same size.the parts are not equal
- Write the answer. The parts are not all the same size, so it is not split into equal parts.no
Check. Check the size of each part by eye: all must match.
Watch out. Equal parts are the same size. Count the parts and check each one.
Method. Count the equal parts for the bottom number, and the shaded parts for the top number.
- Count the equal parts. The shape is split into 4 equal parts.4 equal parts
- Count the shaded parts. 1 of the 4 parts are shaded.1 shaded
- Write the fraction. The shaded parts go on top. The number of equal parts goes underneath.1/4
Check. Check: 1 shaded parts out of 4 equal parts.
Watch out. The bottom number counts all the equal parts, shaded or not.
Method. Split the amount into equal parts, then take the parts the fraction asks for.
- Split the 44 sweets into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.44 ÷ 4 = 11
- Take 1 of the groups for the box. 1/4 is 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 11 = 11
- Write the answer. This is the number in the box.11
Check. Check: 11 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 11.
Watch out. Work out one part first, then take the number of parts.
Method. Split the amount into equal parts, then take the parts the fraction asks for.
- Split the 44 sweets into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.44 ÷ 4 = 11
- Take 1 of the groups for the box. 1/4 is 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 11 = 11
- Write the answer. This is the number in the box.11
Check. Check: 11 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 11.
Watch out. Work out one part first, then take the number of parts.
Method. Divide the number into equal parts, then take the number of parts the fraction says.
- Split 36 into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.36 ÷ 4 = 9
- Take 1 of the groups. 1/4 means 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 9 = 9
- Write the answer. This is the amount for the fraction.9
Check. Check: 9 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 9.
Watch out. The bottom number tells you how many equal groups to split into. The top number tells you how many to take.
Method. Divide the number into equal parts, then take the number of parts the fraction says.
- Split 20 into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.20 ÷ 4 = 5
- Take 1 of the groups. 1/4 means 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 5 = 5
- Write the answer. This is the amount for the fraction.5
Check. Check: 5 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 5.
Watch out. The bottom number tells you how many equal groups to split into. The top number tells you how many to take.
Method. Divide the number into equal parts, then take the number of parts the fraction says.
- Split 16 into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.16 ÷ 4 = 4
- Take 1 of the groups. 1/4 means 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 4 = 4
- Write the answer. This is the amount for the fraction.4
Check. Check: 4 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 4.
Watch out. The bottom number tells you how many equal groups to split into. The top number tells you how many to take.
Method. Divide the number into equal parts, then take the number of parts the fraction says.
- Split 8 into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.8 ÷ 4 = 2
- Take 1 of the groups. 1/4 means 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 2 = 2
- Write the answer. This is the amount for the fraction.2
Check. Check: 2 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 2.
Watch out. The bottom number tells you how many equal groups to split into. The top number tells you how many to take.
Method. Split the amount into equal parts, then take the parts the fraction asks for.
- Split the 20 sweets into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.20 ÷ 4 = 5
- Take 1 of the groups for the box. 1/4 is 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 5 = 5
- Write the answer. This is the number in the box.5
Check. Check: 5 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 5.
Watch out. Work out one part first, then take the number of parts.
Method. Split the amount into equal parts, then take the parts the fraction asks for.
- Split the 36 stickers into 4 equal groups. Each group is one part of the whole.36 ÷ 4 = 9
- Take 1 of the groups for the box. 1/4 is 1 of the 4 equal parts.1 × 9 = 9
- Write the answer. This is the number in the box.9
Check. Check: 9 is 1 of the 4 equal groups of 9.
Watch out. Work out one part first, then take the number of parts.