Skip to content
Brainsladder

Locate and Label Unit Fractions on a Number Line

Students will locate and label unit fractions (1/b) on a number line where the interval from 0 to 1 has already been partitioned into b equal parts. They will understand that 1/b is located at the end of the first equal part, and they will recognize that the fraction represents a specific point on the number line.

Try three of them

Real questions from this skill, graded here. No account, and nothing is saved.

Locate and Label Unit Fractions on a Number Line

Grade 3 · Fractions on a Number Line · question 1 of 3

0 of 12

12 rungs. A star at the top.

Which split of 0 to 1 has more unit lengths, fourths or eighths?

How it is taught

0:00 of 3:08

A unit fraction is one equal jump from 0.

1/8 is the first jump of size 1/8.

01FGH

Read it: Count the gaps, not ticks

A line runs from 0 to 1, cut in half. You could count 3 marks, but the walk has 2 equal steps.

  1. Start at 0 on the line.
  2. Count the equal steps to the mark: 1 of 2.
  3. Name that place on the line: 1/2.

Counting the marks gives 3, because 0, the middle and 1 are all ticks, but ticks are not the steps.

Each step from 0 to 1 is the same size, so 1 step out of 2 is halfway.

The shaded piece covers 1 of those 2 steps, so it sits at the same place as 1/2.

Count the equal gaps, not the ticks; that many steps is the fraction.

Counting the 3 ticks and saying the mark is 3, not 1/2.

Ticks are the ends of the steps. 2 equal steps from 0 to 1: the middle is 1/2.

Which split of 0 to 1 has more unit lengths, fourths or eighths? — eighths. Eighths cut the whole into more unit lengths than fourths.

Locate 1/4 on a number line

Today we'll find a unit fraction on a number line. Let's locate one-fourth.

Here's a number line from zero to one.

The space between zero and one is split into four equal parts.

Count them with me: one, two, three, four equal parts.

Where is 14 on a number line?Locate 14 between 0 and 1011234141414LOCATED14first equal part
Grade 3 · Finding one-fourth between 0 and 1

The bottom number — the denominator — is four, because there are four equal parts.

The top number — the numerator — is one, because we want just one of those parts.

So one-fourth is at the end of the first equal part.

Let's drop a dot right there to mark it.

And we label that point one-fourth.

One-fourth is one of four equal parts, located right here on the number line. Great job!

What you see

While they climb, your page writes one true line to ask about tonight, and a short note each Sunday.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics
Did you know?

A chessboard has 64 squares — share them out between the 8 rows and each row holds exactly 8.

Today’s goal
1 star — one skill mastered, every rung of its ladder climbed
Climbing now
Divide within 100

An example student.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Maya earned 2 stars this week — Interpret multiplication as equal groups, which took 6 answers over 3 days before its star landed 3 days ago and Multiply by 6, 7, 8 and 9. Next up: Divide within 100.

An example week.

More of the library

Every skill has a page

Practise this skill free

14 days of every skill, practice packets, Fluency sheets and up to four students. No card.

Start free