ALTA Education
Cuisenaire Task Library
Fractions on a Number Line
True or False? — The tick-mark trap
A number line runs from 0 to 1. There are four tick marks between 0 and 1.
True or False: “There are four tick marks, so the line has been divided into quarters.”
Explain your answer. Sketch the line if it helps.
Answers
False. Four internal tick marks create five equal intervals, so the line shows fifths, not quarters.
The denominator counts equal intervals, not internal marks.