VictoriaFA

**Extended response questions:**  1. How can you tell if two fractions are equivalent? When both of the fractions equal the same amount. You can tell if they are equal if you draw the 2 fractions and they take up the same amount of space. Equivalent is the same so if they are the same they have the same numerator and the same denominator. 2. When is a fraction in simplest form? When one of the numbers are odd and you can't reduce it any more because it is as low as it can go. That is when it is in it's simplest form. It is the lowest that the fraction can be. 3. Why do you need to find a common denominator before adding or subtracting fractions?  Because it's easier and you can't add or subtract 2/4 and 1/8. It is very hard to and you would need a couculator. You have to have the same denominator in order to do it. You can't do it if they have different denominators. 4. 1/2-->1/4 : 1/4-->1/8 AND 1/3-->1/6 : 1/6--> _ Why did you put that answer? What is the relationship between these pairs of fractii For the denominators, 2 is 1/2 of 4, and 4 is 1/2 of 8, and 3 is 1/2 of 6 the answer is 1/12 because the pattern is half of and 6 is 1/2 of 12.  5. Crozet Elementary teachers want students to only use #2 pencils or #2 mechanical pencils. To make that happen, the school will now provide all pencils, but we need to figure out what fraction of each kind the school should keep on hand. Several facts are known: 1. Mechanical pencils last twice as long as regular ones. 2. Mechanical pencils may only be used in grades 3, 4, and 5. 3. Mechanical pencils may not be used on bubble tests. 4. There are about the same number of students in grades K-2 as there are in grades 3-5. Using the information provided, what fraction of the total number of pencils should be mechanical pencils? Explain your decision in detail, using the facts. 1/2 because half of the grades are using mechanical pencils, so 1/2 of the grades = 1/2 of the pencils. I figured that out by rereading the problem over and over again and really paying attention to every word that is there. I also figured it out by thinking about that K-2 and 3-5 are each 1/2 of the elementary school and so if there are 500 pencils then 250 would be regular and 250 would be mechanical because 1/2 of the students would be using each.