Why You Can Compare Only the Numerators?

You cannot compare the fractions directly because they have different denominators. You need to find a common denominator for the two fractions. Since 5 is a factor of 20, you can use 20 as the common denominator. Multiply the numerator and denominator by 4 to create an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 20.

How do you compare numerators?

So to compare fractions with the same numerator, all you have to do is compare the denominators. The fraction with the bigger denominator is smaller.

What is the rule for comparing fractions with the same numerator?

What is the Rule when Comparing Fractions with the Same Numerator? When the fractions have the same numerator, the fraction with the smaller denominator is greater. For three or more fractions with the same numerator, arrange them in ascending or descending order first, such as 1/2, 1/4, and 1/6.