NCERT Solutions for Class 5th Maths Chapter 2 /8 paratha or 8/6 paratha? — Comparing Fractions With Reference to 1 (a whole)
Book page 297 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
Let us compare some more fractions. One child says, ‘I ate 7/8 paratha yesterday evening.’ The other says, ‘I ate 8/6 paratha yesterday evening.’ Between Sevi and Shami can you tell who ate less?
Answer
Sevi, who ate 7/8 of a paratha, ate less.
Do not compare 7 with 8, or 8 with 6. Compare each fraction with 1 whole paratha instead.
7/8: 8 eighths make one whole paratha, but she ate only 7 of them. So 7/8 is less than 1.
8/6: 6 sixths make one whole paratha, and he ate 8 of them — two more than a whole. So 8/6 is more than 1.
Something less than 1 must be smaller than something more than 1.
So 7/8 < 8/6, and Sevi ate less.
1 acts as a fence. 7/8 stops before it; 8/6 crosses it.
7/8 < 1 and 1 < 8/6 So 7/8 < 8/6
Why this trick works: 1 is a fence in the middle. Any fraction on the left of the fence is smaller than any fraction on the right of it. You never have to make the bottom numbers the same.
Q2.
Compare the following fractions using 1 as a reference. Share your reasoning in the class. (a) 8/7 ___ 9/15 (b) 13/20 ___ 17/15 (c) 7/6 ___ 8/8 (d) 6/6 ___ 19/12 (e) 12/9 ___ 4/5 (f) 15/5 ___ 16/4
Answer
For each fraction, first ask: is it less than 1, equal to 1, or more than 1?
Part
First fraction
Second fraction
Answer
(a)
8/7 : 8 > 7, so more than 1
9/15 : 9 < 15, so less than 1
8/7 > 9/15
(b)
13/20 : 13 < 20, less than 1
17/15 : 17 > 15, more than 1
13/20 < 17/15
(c)
7/6 : 7 > 6, more than 1
8/8 : 8 = 8, exactly 1
7/6 > 8/8
(d)
6/6 : 6 = 6, exactly 1
19/12 : 19 > 12, more than 1
6/6 < 19/12
(e)
12/9 : 12 > 9, more than 1
4/5 : 4 < 5, less than 1
12/9 > 4/5
(f)
15/5 = 3
16/4 = 4
15/5 < 16/4
Part (f) needs one extra step — both fractions are more than 1, so the fence at 1 does not separate them.
15/5 means 15 fifths. Five fifths make 1, so 15 ÷ 5 = 3.
16/4 means 16 fourths. Four fourths make 1, so 16 ÷ 4 = 4.
3 < 4, so 15/5 < 16/4.
Sample answer for the class discussion: Comparing with 1 is the fastest way when one fraction has a top number smaller than its bottom and the other has a top number bigger. If both are on the same side of 1, you need another method — work them out as whole numbers or mixed numbers, as in part (f).