NCERT Solutions for Class 5th Maths Chapter 2 Is 1/3 equal to 2/6? Gurpreet builds a whole — Fun with Fraction Kit
Book page 18 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
Is 1/3 equal to 2/6? Let us find out. Look at the picture and identify the fractions.
The bar printed on page 18. It is cut into 6 equal parts and the shaded part is at the left.
Answer
Yes, 1/3 is equal to 2/6. The picture shows one strip with two shaded parts out of six.
One strip, two names. The shaded length never changed.
Strip cut into 3 equal parts, 1 shaded → 1/3 Same strip cut into 6 equal parts, 2 shaded → 2/6 Same shaded length, so 1/3 = 2/6
Why it happens: Cutting each of the 3 big parts into 2 makes 6 small parts. The one shaded big part becomes 2 shaded small parts. Nothing was added or taken away — only the cutting changed. Fractions like these are called equivalent fractions.
Q2.
Are there two different ways to write the fraction represented by the shaded part?
Answer
Yes. The shaded part can be written as 1/3 or as 2/6.
Count the big parts. The strip has 3 big parts and 1 of them is shaded. That gives 1/3.
Count the small parts. The same strip has 6 small parts and 2 of them are shaded. That gives 2/6.
Compare. Both names describe the very same orange piece, so 1/3 = 2/6.
Did you know? A part can have many names. The same shaded piece is also 3/9 and 4/12 if you cut the strip into 9 or 12 equal parts. These are all equivalent fractions.
Q3.
Do you remember how to make a whole with pieces of the same size? How many 1/5 pieces will you need to make a whole?
Answer
You need 5 pieces of 1/5.
1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 + 1/5 = 5/5 = 1 whole
The bottom number tells you how many equal pieces make one whole.
Why it happens: The name 1/5 means the whole was cut into 5 equal parts and you took one. So to build the whole back, you must put all 5 parts together.
The general rule: It takes 2 pieces of 1/2, 3 pieces of 1/3, 8 pieces of 1/8, and 12 pieces of 1/12 to make one whole. The bottom number is the number of pieces you need.
Q4.
One piece of 1/2 and two pieces of 1/4 make a whole. What is the relation between 1/2 and 1/4? Discuss in class.
Answer
Two pieces of 1/4 are exactly equal to one piece of 1/2. So 1/2 = 2/4.
Put the pieces one under the other and the match is easy to see.
1/4 + 1/4 = 2/4 2/4 covers the same space as 1/2 So 1/2 = 2/4
Sample answer for the class discussion: When a 1/2 piece is broken into 2 equal parts, each part is a 1/4 piece. So one half is twice as long as one fourth, and two fourths are needed to cover one half.
Why it happens: Cutting the whole into 4 parts instead of 2 makes each part half as big. Twice as many pieces, each half the size — the total stays the same.
Q5.
What else is equivalent to 1/2? 1/2 = 2/4 = ____ = ____ = ____
Answer
1/2 = 2/4 = 3/6 = 4/8 = 5/10 (and 6/12, and so on).
Here is the method, in steps you can copy.
Start with 1/2. Top number 1, bottom number 2.
Pick a number to multiply by — say 3.
Multiply the top and the bottom by that same number. 1 × 3 = 3 and 2 × 3 = 6, so you get 3/6.