NCERT Solutions for Class 5th Maths Chapter 2 Showing fractions on number lines; spotting fractions greater than 1 — Let Us Do
Book page 28 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
Use parathas and number lines to show the following fractions in your notebook. (a) 2/3 and 5/3 (b) 3/4 and 5/4 (c) 4/8 and 9/8
Answer
The steps are the same for each pair.
Look at the bottom number. It tells you how many equal parts to cut each paratha (and each unit on the number line) into.
Draw the number line from 0 to 2 (or 0 to 3) and mark every one of those small steps.
Count the top number of steps from 0 and mark the point.
Part
Fraction
Cut each paratha into
Take
In parathas
(a)
2/3
3 parts
2 pieces
less than 1
(a)
5/3
3 parts
5 pieces
1 2/3
(b)
3/4
4 parts
3 pieces
less than 1
(b)
5/4
4 parts
5 pieces
1 1/4
(c)
4/8
8 parts
4 pieces
1/2
(c)
9/8
8 parts
9 pieces
1 1/8
Top line thirds, middle line fourths, bottom line eighths. The purple dot is less than 1 each time; the red dot is more than 1.
With parathas: for 5/3, take 2 parathas, cut each into 3 equal pieces, and pick up 5 pieces. You get one whole paratha and 2 pieces left over, so 5/3 = 1 2/3.
Notice: In each pair, the first fraction is less than 1 (top smaller than bottom) and the second is more than 1 (top bigger than bottom).
Q2.
Circle the fractions that are greater than one (whole). How do you know? Discuss your reasoning in the class. [7/9, 2/5, 5/4, 3/9, 7/3, 2/3, 7/11, 13/11, 5/7, 9/4, 4/9, 12/5, 9/4, 12/8]
Answer
Circle these: 5/4, 7/3, 13/11, 9/4, 12/5, 9/4 (it appears twice) and 12/8.
How to know: compare the top number with the bottom number. If the top is bigger, the fraction is more than one whole.
Fraction
Top vs bottom
Greater than 1?
7/9
7 < 9
No
2/5
2 < 5
No
5/4
5 > 4
Yes — circle it
3/9
3 < 9
No
7/3
7 > 3
Yes — circle it
2/3
2 < 3
No
7/11
7 < 11
No
13/11
13 > 11
Yes — circle it
5/7
5 < 7
No
9/4
9 > 4
Yes — circle it
4/9
4 < 9
No
12/5
12 > 5
Yes — circle it
9/4
9 > 4
Yes — circle it
12/8
12 > 8
Yes — circle it
Sample answer for the class discussion: The bottom number tells us how many pieces make one whole. If we are holding more pieces than that, we must have more than one whole. In 12/8, eight-eighths already make one whole paratha, and we have 12 pieces — four more. So 12/8 = 1 4/8 = 1 1/2.
Watch out for one more case: if the top and the bottom are equal — like 9/9 — the fraction is exactly 1, not greater than 1. There is no such fraction in this box, but there is one in the next exercise.