Question

Which fraction 1/4 or 2/7 is bigger?

Answer 1

`2/7>1/4`

Explanation:

We can do this a couple of different ways.

The first is to do the division:

`1/4=0.25`
`2/7~=0.29`

And so we know that `2/7` is greater than `1/4`

We can also do it this way:

`1/4, 2/7`

`1/4xx(1), 2/7xx(1)`

`1/4xx(7/7), 2/7xx(4/4)`

`7/28, 8/28`

so we can see that `8/28 > 7/28`, which means that `2/7>1/4`

Answer 2

So `2/7` is greater

Explanation:

One way to test this to make the bottom numbers the same and then compare the top numbers.

Note that `4xx7=28` so 28 is exactly divisible by each of 4 and 7

`color(green)([1/4color(red)(xx1)] " compered to "[2/7color(red)(xx1)] )`

`color(green)([1/4color(red)(xx7/7)] " compered to "[2/7color(red)(xx4/4)] )`

`" "color(green)([7/28] " compered to "[8/28] )`

So `2/7` is greater

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`color(red)("For mathematical reasons it is much better to say greater rather than say bigger.")`