What is One Third (1/3)?

S0-SA1-0566

Grade Level:

Class 2

Maths, Physics, Chemistry

Definition

What is it?

One Third (1/3) means one part out of three equal parts of something. Imagine dividing a whole item into three pieces, and each piece is exactly the same size; one of those pieces is one third.

Simple Example

Quick Example

If your mom bakes a delicious round cake and cuts it into 3 equal slices, and you take one slice, then you have taken one third (1/3) of the cake. Each of your friends also gets one third.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's say there are 9 mangoes in a basket, and you want to give one third of them to your friend.

Step 1: Understand what one third means. It means dividing the total into 3 equal parts.
---Step 2: Take the total number of mangoes, which is 9.
---Step 3: Divide the total by 3: 9 ÷ 3.
---Step 4: Calculate the result: 9 ÷ 3 = 3.
---Step 5: So, one third of 9 mangoes is 3 mangoes.

Answer: You should give your friend 3 mangoes.

Why It Matters

Understanding fractions like one third is crucial in Maths for daily calculations and advanced topics. In Physics, it helps in dividing forces or quantities, and in Chemistry, for mixing ingredients in specific proportions. Engineers, doctors, and even chefs use fractions constantly.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Thinking one third means one part out of three UNEQUAL parts. | CORRECTION: One third (1/3) always means one part out of three EQUAL parts. Equality is key!

MISTAKE: Confusing 1/3 with 1/2 or 1/4. | CORRECTION: Remember the bottom number (denominator) tells you how many equal parts the whole is divided into. For 1/3, it's three parts.

MISTAKE: Only applying 1/3 to whole objects, not groups of objects. | CORRECTION: You can find 1/3 of a single item (like a pizza) or 1/3 of a group of items (like 15 students).

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: A class has 30 students. If one third of the students are girls, how many girls are there? | ANSWER: 10 girls

QUESTION: You have a rope that is 12 meters long. If you cut off one third of the rope, how long is the piece you cut off? | ANSWER: 4 meters

QUESTION: A shopkeeper sold 21 pens. He sold one third of them in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. How many pens did he sell in the afternoon? | ANSWER: 14 pens

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of the following represents one third?

One part out of two equal parts

One part out of three equal parts

One part out of four equal parts

Three parts out of one whole

The Correct Answer Is:

One third (1/3) by definition means one part chosen from a total of three equally divided parts. Options A, C, and D describe different fractions or incorrect divisions.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you order food like a pizza online, sometimes you can choose to share it equally. If three friends share a pizza, each friend gets one third of the pizza. Similarly, when dividing expenses among three people, each person pays one third of the total bill, a common practice with UPI payments.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

FRACTION: A number that represents a part of a whole. | NUMERATOR: The top number in a fraction, showing how many parts are taken. | DENOMINATOR: The bottom number in a fraction, showing how many equal parts the whole is divided into. | EQUAL PARTS: Parts that are exactly the same size or amount.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand one third, you're ready to explore other fractions like one half (1/2) and one fourth (1/4). You will see how these fractions are used to divide things into different numbers of equal parts, which is super useful!