Equivalent Fractions - One Common Misconception

If we multiply both the numerator and the denominator by the same (non-zero) number, the resulting fraction will be equivalent to the original fraction, for example . Sometimes students think that the same will be true for adding and subtracting. This applet helps to clear up some misunderstandings. The top part of the screen is the reference area. Here we enter a new proper fraction and see it as a part of a unit square. The bottom part is for experimenting with the fraction.