Primary · Fractions
Make smaller pieces, keep the same fraction
Subdivide every quarter equally and watch the numerator and denominator change together.
Predict what will happen, press Play, then pause and explain what changed. Every control also works without playback.
Watch the relationship
PausedHD animation studio
From experiment to screen.
Present a crisp Canvas scene, save a full-HD image, or capture your model as a silent video.
Understand what you are seeing
The idea behind the motion.
A fraction describes an amount relative to a particular whole. Splitting every quarter into the same number of smaller pieces increases both the selected-piece count and the total-piece count. The colored length stays fixed, so the fraction has a new name with the same value.
A relationship to keep
a/4 = (a × k)/(4 × k)
Read the symbols alongside the explanation. A diagram shows the relationship; the assumptions tell you when it applies.
- STEP 1
Keep one whole fixed
Both strips have the same length. The top strip has four equal parts, and the numerator counts how many of those parts are shaded.
- STEP 2
Subdivide all four parts
Move the timeline to draw the new cuts in the lower strip. The cuts apply to shaded and unshaded quarters alike; no material is added or removed.
- STEP 3
Count the smaller units
At the end, multiply both counts by the subdivision factor. For example, three quarters split in two become six eighths, covering exactly the same length.
Your turn to explain
Make a prediction. Test your reasoning.
Each quarter is split into three equal pieces. What fraction names the same amount as 2/4?
Use the values specified in the question. Reset restores the initial values for this investigation.
Compare your explanation
6/12, because 2 × 3 = 6 shaded pieces and 4 × 3 = 12 pieces in the whole.
Work through a full lesson
Connect the animation to a worked example and practice questions.