What is 1/50 (One Fiftieth)?

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Grade Level:

Class 3

All STEM domains, Finance, Economics, Data Science, AI, Physics, Chemistry

Definition

What is it?

1/50 (One Fiftieth) means one part out of 50 equal parts of a whole. It is a fraction representing a very small portion of something. Think of dividing a whole into 50 pieces and taking just one.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you have a big bar of your favourite chocolate. If you cut this chocolate bar into 50 tiny, equal pieces, and you eat just one of those pieces, you have eaten 1/50 of the chocolate bar. It's a very small bite!

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's say a school has 100 students. If 1/50 of the students are absent today, how many students are absent?

Step 1: Understand what 1/50 means. It means 1 part out of 50 equal parts.
---Step 2: We need to find 1/50 of the total number of students, which is 100.
---Step 3: To find a fraction of a number, we multiply the fraction by the number. So, we calculate (1/50) * 100.
---Step 4: This is the same as 100 divided by 50.
---Step 5: 100 ÷ 50 = 2.
---Answer: 2 students are absent today.

Why It Matters

Understanding fractions like 1/50 helps you divide things fairly and understand small proportions. Engineers use this to measure tiny parts, scientists use it for precise measurements, and even in finance, you might deal with very small percentage changes. This skill is key for many careers, from building bridges to managing money.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Thinking 1/50 means 50 whole things | CORRECTION: 1/50 means one part out of 50 equal parts, so it's a fraction, not a whole number.

MISTAKE: Confusing 1/50 with 1/5 (one-fifth) | CORRECTION: 1/50 is much smaller than 1/5. The bigger the number in the denominator, the smaller each part is.

MISTAKE: Not understanding that the 'whole' needs to be divided into 50 EQUAL parts | CORRECTION: For 1/50 to be accurate, all 50 parts must be exactly the same size.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: A pizza has 50 slices. If you eat 1/50 of the pizza, how many slices did you eat? | ANSWER: 1 slice

QUESTION: A factory produces 200 toys. If 1/50 of the toys are found to be faulty, how many toys are faulty? | ANSWER: 4 toys

QUESTION: A bus travels 150 km. If it covers 1/50 of its journey in the first 10 minutes, how many kilometres did it travel in those 10 minutes? | ANSWER: 3 km

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of these represents 1/50?

One whole thing

Fifty equal parts

One part out of fifty equal parts

Fifty parts out of one whole part

The Correct Answer Is:

1/50 is a fraction where the numerator (1) tells us how many parts we have, and the denominator (50) tells us the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

In India, when you buy gold, sometimes jewelers might talk about very small weights, like a gram divided into tiny fractions. Or, think about a big government project budget: if 1/50 of the budget is spent on a particular small component, understanding 1/50 helps you know how much money that specific component received.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

FRACTION: A part of a whole, like 1/50 | NUMERATOR: The top number in a fraction, showing how many parts are taken (here, 1) | DENOMINATOR: The bottom number in a fraction, showing the total number of equal parts (here, 50) | EQUAL PARTS: Parts that are exactly the same size or value.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand 1/50, you're ready to explore other fractions! Next, learn about comparing fractions and finding equivalent fractions. This will help you see how different parts relate to each other.