Year 4 Maths: Subtracting Fractions

Understanding Subtracting Fractions

Hello, Year 4! Today, we’re going to learn about subtracting fractions. It might sound tricky at first, but I promise it will be fun and easy once we break it down together!

What are Fractions?

A fraction is a way to show a part of a whole. For example, if you have a pizza and you eat some, the part of the pizza you ate can be written as a fraction.

• The top number of a fraction is called the numerator. It tells us how many parts we have.
• The bottom number is called the denominator. It tells us how many equal parts the whole is divided into.

For example, in the fraction $$\frac{3}{4}$$ , 3 is the numerator, and 4 is the denominator. This means you have 3 out of 4 equal parts.

Subtracting Fractions with the Same Denominator

When we subtract fractions, we follow a simple rule:

1. Make sure the denominators are the same. If they are, you can subtract the numerators directly.
2. Keep the denominator the same.

Example 1:

Let’s subtract the fractions $$\frac{5}{8}$$ and $$\frac{2}{8}$$ :

1. The denominators are the same (both are 8).
2. Subtract the numerators: $$5 – 2 = 3$$ .
3. The answer is $$\frac{3}{8}$$ .

So, $$\frac{5}{8} – \frac{2}{8} = \frac{3}{8}$$ .

Subtracting Fractions with Different Denominators

Sometimes, the fractions have different denominators. In this case, we need to make the denominators the same before we can subtract.

Steps to Follow:

1. Find a common denominator. This is a number that both denominators can divide into.
2. Convert the fractions to have this common denominator.
3. Now, you can subtract the numerators and keep the denominator the same.

Example 2:

Let’s subtract $$\frac{1}{4}$$ from $$\frac{2}{3}$$ :

1. The denominators are 4 and 3. The common denominator is 12.
2. Convert the fractions:
   • $$\frac{1}{4} = \frac{3}{12}$$ (because $$1 \times 3 \text{ and } 4 \times 3 = 12$$ )
   • $$\frac{2}{3} = \frac{8}{12}$$ (because $$2 \times 4 \text{ and } 3 \times 4 = 12$$ )
3. Now we can subtract: $$\frac{8}{12} – \frac{3}{12} = \frac{5}{12}$$ .

So, $$\frac{2}{3} – \frac{1}{4} = \frac{5}{12}$$ .

Key Rules to Remember

• Always check if the denominators are the same.
• If not, find a common denominator.
• Subtract the numerators.
• Keep the denominator the same.
• If you can simplify your answer, do it!

Tips and Tricks

• Visuals help! Draw a picture or use fraction bars to see the parts.
• Practice makes perfect! Try different problems to get better.
• Don’t rush! Take your time to work through each step clearly.

Practice Questions

Easy Level (20 Questions)

1. $$\frac{3}{5} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
2. $$\frac{6}{8} – \frac{2}{8} = ?$$
3. $$\frac{4}{10} – \frac{2}{10} = ?$$
4. $$\frac{5}{12} – \frac{1}{12} = ?$$
5. $$\frac{7}{9} – \frac{4}{9} = ?$$
6. $$\frac{5}{6} – \frac{3}{6} = ?$$
7. $$\frac{2}{3} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
8. $$\frac{9}{10} – \frac{5}{10} = ?$$
9. $$\frac{1}{2} – \frac{1}{2} = ?$$
10. $$\frac{5}{7} – \frac{2}{7} = ?$$
11. $$\frac{8}{10} – \frac{4}{10} = ?$$
12. $$\frac{3}{4} – \frac{2}{4} = ?$$
13. $$\frac{6}{7} – \frac{3}{7} = ?$$
14. $$\frac{2}{5} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
15. $$\frac{4}{6} – \frac{2}{6} = ?$$
16. $$\frac{5}{8} – \frac{2}{8} = ?$$
17. $$\frac{7}{10} – \frac{3}{10} = ?$$
18. $$\frac{8}{9} – \frac{3}{9} = ?$$
19. $$\frac{3}{8} – \frac{1}{8} = ?$$
20. $$\frac{1}{3} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$

Medium Level (20 Questions)

1. $$\frac{5}{6} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
2. $$\frac{3}{4} – \frac{1}{2} = ?$$
3. $$\frac{5}{8} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
4. $$\frac{2}{5} – \frac{1}{10} = ?$$
5. $$\frac{7}{12} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
6. $$\frac{3}{8} – \frac{1}{2} = ?$$
7. $$\frac{9}{10} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
8. $$\frac{5}{9} – \frac{2}{3} = ?$$
9. $$\frac{11}{12} – \frac{1}{6} = ?$$
10. $$\frac{4}{5} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
11. $$\frac{7}{8} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
12. $$\frac{5}{6} – \frac{1}{2} = ?$$
13. $$\frac{9}{12} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
14. $$\frac{3}{5} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
15. $$\frac{8}{9} – \frac{2}{3} = ?$$
16. $$\frac{7}{10} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
17. $$\frac{2}{3} – \frac{1}{6} = ?$$
18. $$\frac{4}{7} – \frac{2}{7} = ?$$
19. $$\frac{6}{8} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
20. $$\frac{8}{10} – \frac{3}{10} = ?$$

Hard Level (20 Questions)

1. $$\frac{3}{5} – \frac{1}{2} = ?$$
2. $$\frac{5}{6} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
3. $$\frac{7}{10} – \frac{2}{5} = ?$$
4. $$\frac{9}{12} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
5. $$\frac{11}{15} – \frac{2}{5} = ?$$
6. $$\frac{5}{8} – \frac{3}{16} = ?$$
7. $$\frac{1}{2} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
8. $$\frac{4}{5} – \frac{1}{10} = ?$$
9. $$\frac{7}{8} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
10. $$\frac{9}{14} – \frac{1}{7} = ?$$
11. $$\frac{3}{4} – \frac{1}{5} = ?$$
12. $$\frac{5}{9} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
13. $$\frac{11}{12} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
14. $$\frac{10}{15} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
15. $$\frac{6}{7} – \frac{2}{7} = ?$$
16. $$\frac{5}{6} – \frac{1}{3} = ?$$
17. $$\frac{8}{12} – \frac{1}{4} = ?$$
18. $$\frac{3}{5} – \frac{1}{10} = ?$$
19. $$\frac{2}{3} – \frac{1}{9} = ?$$
20. $$\frac{7}{10} – \frac{1}{2} = ?$$

Answers to the Questions

Easy Level Answers

1. $$\frac{2}{5}$$
2. $$\frac{4}{8}$$ or $$\frac{1}{2}$$
3. $$\frac{2}{10}$$ or $$\frac{1}{5}$$
4. $$\frac{4}{12}$$ or $$\frac{1}{3}$$
5. $$\frac{3}{9}$$ or $$\frac{1}{3}$$
6. $$\frac{2}{6}$$ or $$\frac{1}{3}$$
7. $$\frac{1}{3}$$
8. $$\frac{4}{10}$$ or $$\frac{2}{5}$$
9. $$0$$
10. $$\frac{5}{7}$$
11. $$\frac{4}{10}$$ or $$\frac{2}{5}$$
12. $$\frac{1}{4}$$
13. $$\frac{4}{7}$$
14. $$\frac{1}{5}$$
15. $$\frac{2}{6}$$ or $$\frac{1}{3}$$
16. $$\frac{3}{8}$$
17. $$\frac{4}{10}$$ or $$\frac{2}{5}$$
18. $$\frac{1}{4}$$
19. $$\frac{2}{8}$$ or $$\frac{1}{4}$$
20. $$0$$

Medium Level Answers

1. $$\frac{1}{2}$$
2. $$\frac{1}{4}$$
3. $$\frac{3}{8}$$
4. $$\frac{1}{5}$$
5. $$\frac{5}{12}$$
6. $$\frac{1}{8}$$
7. $$\frac{7}{10}$$
8. $$\frac{1}{9}$$
9. $$\frac{10}{12}$$ or $$\frac{5}{6}$$
10. $$\frac{3}{5}$$
11. $$\frac{5}{8}$$
12. $$\frac{1}{3}$$
13. $$\frac{5}{12}$$
14. $$\frac{2}{5}$$
15. $$\frac{4}{9}$$
16. $$\frac{1}{2}$$
17. $$\frac{3}{6}$$ or $$\frac{1}{2}$$
18. $$\frac{2}{7}$$
19. $$\frac{5}{8}$$
20. $$\frac{5}{10}$$ or $$\frac{1}{2}$$

Hard Level Answers

1. $$\frac{1}{10}$$
2. $$\frac{7}{12}$$
3. $$\frac{1}{10}$$
4. $$\frac{5}{12}$$
5. $$\frac{7}{15}$$
6. $$\frac{7}{16}$$
7. $$\frac{1}{6}$$
8. $$\frac{7}{10}$$
9. $$\frac{19}{24}$$
10. $$\frac{5}{14}$$
11. $$\frac{11}{20}$$
12. $$\frac{2}{9}$$
13. $$\frac{8}{12}$$ or $$\frac{2}{3}$$
14. $$\frac{7}{15}$$
15. $$\frac{4}{7}$$
16. $$\frac{1}{2}$$
17. $$\frac{1}{3}$$
18. $$\frac{1}{3}$$
19. $$\frac{5}{9}$$
20. $$\frac{2}{10}$$ or $$\frac{1}{5}$$

Happy subtracting, Year 4! Keep practising, and you’ll be fraction experts in no time!