Is 1/3 Bigger Than 5/12?

Q: Which is bigger: 1/3 or 5/12?

5/12 is bigger. As a decimal, 5/12 = 0.416667 while 1/3 = 0.333333.

Q: What is the difference between 1/3 and 5/12?

The difference is 1/12, which equals 0.083333 in decimal form (8.3333 percentage points).

Q: How do you compare 1/3 and 5/12?

You can use three methods: find a common denominator and compare numerators, cross-multiply and compare the products, or convert both fractions to decimals. All three methods confirm that 5/12 is greater than 1/3.

No, $\frac{1}{3}$ < $\frac{5}{12}$

$\frac{1}{3}$

33.3333%

$\frac{5}{12}$

41.6667%

Method 1: Common Denominators

To compare these fractions, we need a common denominator. The denominators are 3 and 12, and the least common denominator (LCD) is 12.

Step 1. Convert $\frac{1}{3}$: multiply numerator and denominator by 4. $\frac{1}{3} = \frac{1 \times 4}{3 \times 4} = \frac{4}{12}$
Step 2. Keep $\frac{5}{12}$ as it is — the denominator is already 12.
Step 3. Compare the numerators: 4 vs 5.
Step 4. Since 4 is less than 5, we know that $\frac{1}{3} < \frac{5}{12}$.

Method 2: Cross Multiplication

A quicker way to compare fractions is to cross-multiply. Multiply each numerator by the other fraction's denominator:

Step 1. Multiply the numerator of the first fraction by the denominator of the second: $1 \times 12 = 12$.
Step 2. Multiply the numerator of the second fraction by the denominator of the first: $5 \times 3 = 15$.
Step 3. Compare the products: $12 < 15$, so $\frac{1}{3} < \frac{5}{12}$.

Method 3: Decimal Comparison

Convert each fraction to a decimal by dividing the numerator by the denominator:

$\frac{1}{3}$ as a decimal 0.333333

$\frac{5}{12}$ as a decimal 0.416667

Difference 0.083333

Since 0.333333 is less than 0.416667, we confirm that $\frac{1}{3} < \frac{5}{12}$. In percentage terms, $\frac{1}{3}$ is 33.3333% and $\frac{5}{12}$ is 41.6667%, a difference of 8.3333 percentage points.

Why Does This Work?

These fractions have different numerators and different denominators, so we can't compare them directly. By converting to a common denominator of 12, we're cutting both quantities into equal-sized pieces. Then 4 pieces vs 5 pieces is a straightforward comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger: 1/3 or 5/12?

$\frac{5}{12}$ is bigger. As a decimal, $\frac{5}{12}$ = 0.416667 while $\frac{1}{3}$ = 0.333333.

What is the difference between 1/3 and 5/12?

The difference is $\frac{1}{12}$, which equals 0.083333 in decimal form (8.3333 percentage points).

How do you compare 1/3 and 5/12?

You can use three methods: find a common denominator and compare numerators, cross-multiply and compare the products, or convert both fractions to decimals. All three methods confirm that $\frac{5}{12}$ $>$ $\frac{1}{3}$.

Keep Learning

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