At a school fun fair, four stalls each sold a fraction of their cookies before 2 pm. Stall A sold 59 of its cookies, Stall B sold 47, Stall C sold 712 and Stall D sold 58. Which stall sold the greatest fraction of its cookies?
- Stall A
- Stall B
- Stall C
- Stall D
Need a hint?
Do not judge by the numerator or the denominator alone. Cross-multiply each pair, or find a common denominator for all four fractions.
Worked answer
- Compare 58 with each of the other fractions by cross-multiplying.
- 58 and 712: 5 × 12 = 60 and 7 × 8 = 56, so 58 is greater.
- 58 and 47: 5 × 7 = 35 and 4 × 8 = 32, so 58 is greater.
- 58 and 59: same numerator, and eighths are bigger than ninths, so 58 is greater.
- So Stall D sold the greatest fraction of its cookies.
Answer: Stall D
The mistake this question tests
Habit
Calculation slip
Choosing the fraction with the largest numerator (Stall C) ignores the size of the denominator, which changes how big each piece is.
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See the answer →Practise PSLE fractions until the mistakes stop.
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