Vocabulary
In the examples 2/5 and 7/3, the slanting line is called a solidus or forward slash. In the examples and, the horizontal line is called a vinculum or, informally, a "fraction bar".
A fraction written as a numerator and denominator is read in most cases as the numerator, followed by the denominator in the same form as the corresponding ordinal number, in plural if the numerator is not one; e.g. "7⁄8" is "seven-eighths". The denominators 1, 2, and 4 are special cases. The fraction 3/1 may be read as "three wholes". The denominator 2 is read as "half" (plural "halves"); "−3⁄2" is "minus three-halves" or "negative three-halves". The denominator 4 can be read as "fourth(s)" or as "quarter(s)". Also a special case is when the numerator is one, in which case the word "one" may be omitted, such as "every tenth of a second" or "during the final quarter of the year".
Read more about this topic: Numerator (fraction)
Famous quotes containing the word vocabulary:
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