Equivalent Fractions and Fraction Benchmarks

Equivalent fractions are the key that unlocks all fraction arithmetic. 1/2 = 2/4 = 3/6 = 4/8: the same amount expressed with different denominators. This equivalence is not a coincidence: multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same non-zero number produces a proportionally equal fraction (the same number of the same-sized parts). The ability to find equivalent fractions is prerequisite to adding fractions with unlike denominators, comparing fractions, and understanding ratios and proportions.