NCERT Solutions for Class 4th Maths Chapter 5 Parts and Wholes — Let Us Discuss
Book page 62 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
Which part of the paper you would have chosen—one half or two quarters? Why?
Answer
Either one, because they are exactly the same size.
Ikra’s drawing sheet. The left part is one half. The right part is cut once more into two quarters.
Paper cut into 2 equal parts → each part is one half
Each half cut again into 2 → the paper now has 4 quarters
1 quarter + 1 quarter = 2 quarters = one half
Why it happens: Two quarters are the two pieces of one half, so putting them back together gives that half again.
Try This: Fold a sheet in half. Cut along the fold. Now fold one half again and cut. Place the two small pieces on top of the other half — they cover it exactly.
Q2.
Do you think Ikra shared the paper equally? Why? Try with a paper.
Answer
Yes, Ikra shared the paper equally.
The sheet after Ikra’s cuts: one half on the left, two quarters on the right.
Samina gets two quarters. That is 1/4 + 1/4 = 2/4.
Ikra keeps one half, which is 1/2.
Two quarters cover one half exactly, so both girls get the same amount of paper.
Why it happens: Ikra first cut the sheet into two equal halves. She only cut one half into two smaller equal pieces. Cutting a piece does not make it bigger or smaller.
Check it yourself: Cut a sheet the same way. Put Samina’s two pieces on top of Ikra’s piece. They fit exactly.
Q3.
How do you know that the paper has been divided equally?
Answer
We know it because the parts fit exactly on top of one another.
The drawing sheet after it is cut. The dotted lines show where the cuts were made.
Cut the sheet along the lines shown.
Place one piece on top of the other piece.
If no piece sticks out anywhere, the parts are equal.
Why it happens: Equal parts have the same size and shape, so one part covers the other completely with nothing left over.
Q4.
Why do you think Samina chose two quarters of the paper?
Answer
Samina chose two quarters because the word ‘two’ sounded bigger than ‘one’.
She heard “two quarters” and “one half”.
She looked only at the numbers 2 and 1, not at the size of the pieces.
But a quarter is a smaller piece than a half, so two quarters are only the same as one half.
One half on the left; the same amount of paper cut as two quarters on the right.
Why it happens: In a fraction, the size of each piece depends on how many equal parts the whole was cut into. More pieces means smaller pieces.