jessica said that 1/3 is greater then 1/2 because 3 is greater than 2. Is she correct?
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answers:
MICHAEL K say: nope. 1/3 is less than 1/2.
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Johnathan say: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!
Say you have a function, y = 1/x. As x increases, y DECREASES. The fact that the denominator in 1/3 is greater than that in 1/2 DISPROVES Jessica's notion; with a constant positive numerator, the greater the positive denominator, the SMALLER the fraction. That means 1/3 < 1/2.
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Steve H say: Not exactly what you asked, but there are certain circumstances whereby 1/3 is greater than 1/2.
!/3 of -12 is -4
1/2 of -12 is -6
Therefore 1/3 of -12 is greater than 1/2 of -12
If we include the reason you gave though (because 3 is greater than 2), then no.
Just for fun: suppose we had a barrel full of rotten apples and divided most of that into two empty barrels of the same size as the original. We would place 1/3 of the apples into one barrel and 1/2 into the other.
At least initially, the 1/3 full barrel contains 2/3 clean air, whereas the other barrel only contains 1/2 clean air.
Therefore the 1/3 full barrel is lighter to carry and contains more fresh air.
Hence I might be inclined to claim the 1/3 full barrel is greater.
Depends on your perspective as to whether you accept that premise.
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oklatom say: No. If I give you 33 cents, a third of a dollar, do you have more than if I give you 50 cents, a half dollar?
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Ian H say: Three is bigger than two, that is true, but that just means that
dividing by 3 instead of dividing by 2 makes it smaller.
Think of a pizza. Shared with 3 people they get one third each,
If only shared by two they get 1/2 each which is bigger than 1/3 each.
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Krishnamurthy say: Jessica said that 1/3 is greater than 1/2 because 3 is greater than 2.
Is she correct? No, she is not correct.
1/3 = 2/6 and 1/2 = 3/6
Obviously 3/6 > 2/6
Hence 1/2 is greater than 1/3.
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geezer say: No.
3 may be bigger than 2
but 1/3 is smaller than 1/2 because it is a fraction.
If you cut something into 3 pieces, each piece is going to be smaller than the pieces if you cut it in 2.
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say: That's likely what the new math says.
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Puzzling say: Would you rather have 1/3 of a pizza or 1/2 of a pizza?
The number in the denominator tells you how many pieces you are dividing the item into. The bigger that number, the *smaller* each piece becomes.
Answer:
No, Jessica is wrong in her thinking. A whole divided into 3 equal parts has smaller parts than if it was divided into 2 equal parts.
P.S. But Jessica is similar to many Americans. Read the story below how people didn't want to pay the same price for A&W's 1/3 lb. burger as they would for McDonald's Quarter Pounder... because they thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4.
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Tonya Jeffery say: A. Yes, she is correct.
B. No, the denominators do not help you find which fraction is greater.
C. No, a whole divided into 3 equal parts has smaller parts than if it was divided into 2 equal parts.
D. No, both fractions are equal.
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TexHabs say: No because 1/3 = 0.33 whereas 1/2 = 0.5
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Dev say: No, because dividing by a larger number makes a number smaller.
Let's say you have a pizza and you cut it in half. Still pretty big! Now cut it into 3 slices. Each slice is now smaller. Therefore, 1/3 is smaller than 1/2.
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Phantom26 say: Nope, 1/2 is greater.
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Anonymous say: Oh come on I’m terrible at math and I still know that’s wrong
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Your Friendly Neighborhood Asian say: She is wrong. That's like saying -3 is greator than -2
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RR say: The common denominator of 1/3 and 1/2 is 6.
Convert them both to 1/6ths
1/3 = 2/6
1/2 = 3/6
1/2 is bigger.
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audrey say: Nope. She is wrong.
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say: 3 is indeed greater than 2.
When you turn the numbers upside down, you also change the order so 2 is greater than 3
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Alan say: C. No, a whole divided into 3 equal parts has smaller parts than if it was divided into 2 equal parts.
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say: No. If I cut a pie into three equal pieces and take one piece, that piece will be smaller than a one piece of pie that was cut into 2 equal pieces. Answer choice C.
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say: 1/3 = 0.33
1/2 = 0.5
0.33 < 0.5
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Ray S say: 1/3 > 1/2 ← let's assume that she's right and see how it works out ... LCD=6
(2/2)(1/3) > (3/3)(1/2)
2/6 > 3/6 ✘ ← False statement makes her wrong
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