Mixed-Number Measurements

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Measuring chocolate bars might sound like hard work, but it's actually pretty sweet!

When measuring any object, a ruler can help you find its exact length—even when it's not a whole number.

• Have you ever noticed that sometimes an object falls somewhere between two numbers on a ruler?

That's where fractions come in handy! When a measurement lands between two whole numbers, you can use a mixed number.

A mixed number is a whole number with a fraction, like 2 ¹/₄ or 3 ¹/₂.

Look closely at a ruler that measures inches. You can see many little lines between each whole number.

Each line represents a fraction of an inch. Since there are 16 lines between each whole number, each line is ¹/₁₆ of an inch.

Here's the trick: always use the lowest equivalent fraction. To find it, look for the largest number that divides evenly into both the top and bottom numbers of your fraction.

So, that means that ²/₁₆ on a ruler is the same as ¹/₈.

Check out the video below to learn more about how the markings on a ruler work.

Now, try measuring a chocolate bar to see exactly how big it is!

Imagine measuring a delicious chocolate bar to see how big it is.

To measure the chocolate bar, start by lining up the ruler's edge with the chocolate bar's edge.

This chocolate bar measures between 2 and 3. If you look closely at the markings, it stops at the ¹/₂ mark, between 2 and 3.

You can use a mixed number to tell how much the chocolate bar measures.

This means there is 2 ¹/₂ inches of delicious chocolate to enjoy!

Watch this next video to see even more examples of measuring with mixed numbers.

Fantastic!

Here is another chocolate bar to measure.

• How long is this chocolate bar?

Nice work!

Head to the Got It? section for more measurement practice with mixed numbers.