Comparing Fractions:

| | | |_______________|
0 1 2 3 4

Less Greater

Symbols: < “is less than” (points to the left, and looks like an ‘L’)
> “is greater than” (points to the right)
(The symbol opens to the bigger number.)

To Compare Fractions: 1) Write the fractions as like fractions (get common denom.)
2) Compare the numerators. The fraction with the greater
numerator is the greater fraction.

2 5
Examples: Compare the following fractions: _____ LCD: 24
3 8

16 15 2 5
> is greater than
24 24 3 8

7 9
Compare the following fractions: _____ LCD: 40
8 10

35 36 7 9
< is less than
40 40 8 10

Exponents:
Exponents are a short way to represent repeated multiplication.
Examples:
23 = 2 ∙ 2 ∙ 2 = 8

42 = 4 ∙ 4 = 16

3 2 3 3 9
( ) = ∙ =
4 4 4 16

1 3 1 1 1 1
( ) = ∙ ∙ =
3 3 3 3 27

14 = 1 ∙ 1 ∙ 1 ∙ 1 = 1
Order of Operations: Same as for whole numbers

Parentheses (or other grouping symbols)

Exponents or square roots
Multiplication or Division (from left to right)
Addition or Subtraction (from left to right)

Examples:
5 2 4 1 3 3 4
( ) ∙( ) ∙ + ∙ Reduce
8 25 4 4 4 3
5 5 4 1 3 1 1
( ∙ )∙ Exponents ( ∙ )+( ∙ ) Multiply
8 8 25 4 4 1 1
25 4 3 1
∙ Reduce + LCD: 16
64 25 16 1
1 1 3 16
∙ Multiply + Add
16 1 16 16
𝟏 𝟏𝟗
Answer Answer
𝟏𝟔 𝟏𝟔

2 2 5 1 3 8
( ) −( − )÷ Parentheses 5 ∙ 22 −
3 8 2 2 9
2 2 5 4 3 8
( ) −( − )÷ LCD: 8, subtract 5 ∙ (2 ∙ 2) − Exponents
3 8 8 2 9
2 2 1 3 8
( ∙ )− ÷ Exponents 5∙4− Multiply
3 3 8 2 9
4 1 3 8 20
−( ÷ ) Division 20 − 20 is
9 8 2 9 1
4 1 2 20 8
−( ∙ ) Flip and multiply − LCD: 9
9 8 3 1 9
4 1 1 180 8
−( ∙ ) Reduce and multiply − Subtract
9 4 3 9 9
4 1 𝟏𝟕𝟐
− LCD: 36 Answer
9 12 𝟗
16 3
− Add
36 36
𝟏𝟑
Answer
𝟑𝟔