Year 8: Equivalent fractions

What are equivalent fractions?

Equivalent fractions are different fractions that represent the same value or amount.

Examples:
1/2 = 2/4 = 4/8
3/5 = 6/10 = 9/15

How to identify equivalent fractions:

• Multiply or divide the numerator and denominator by the same number.
• Example: 2/3 × 2 = 4/6 → So 2/3 and 4/6 are equivalent.
• Example: 8/12 ÷ 4 = 2/3 → So 8/12 and 2/3 are equivalent.

How to check if two fractions are equivalent:

• Cross multiply: If the cross products are equal, the fractions are equivalent.
• Example: Is 3/4 equal to 6/8?
  3 × 8 = 24, 4 × 6 = 24 → Yes, they are equivalent.

Remember: If two fractions look different but simplify to the same lowest terms, they are equivalent.