With pictures
In Grade 4 pupils see that 1/2 and 2/4 are the same amount: bars and circles split into equal parts to shade, then to compare. The pictures are black and white and print well on any printer.
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Teaching Guide: Equivalent Fractions from Grade 4 to Grade 7
Equivalent fractions are the key to everything that follows: simplifying, adding with unlike denominators, comparing and ordering. This free equivalent fractions worksheet generator builds A4 worksheets that start with bar and circle pictures and go all the way to the GCF, the LCM and cross products, with a step-by-step answer key. Once they are secure, move on to fraction operations or percentages.
Student worksheet 
Answer key Missing numbers
Multiply or divide both terms by the same number, writing that number first; in Grade 7, cross products when neither denominator is a multiple of the other.
Chains
A fraction and four equivalent fractions to complete. At level 3 the chain starts from a fraction that is not in simplest form, so pupils simplify and then multiply.
Simplifying
Three methods, one per level: dividing by 2, 3 and 5 with the divisibility rules, cancelling common prime factors and dividing once by the GCF.
Are they equivalent?
Cross products to decide whether two fractions are equivalent, with traps built on common mistakes such as adding the same number to both terms (2/3 and 3/4 are not equivalent).
Common denominators and answer key
Rewrite fractions over a common denominator with the LCM, compare two fractions and order four. Every exercise has a step-by-step answer key: the multiplier, the cross products, the GCF or LCM and the equivalent fractions.
Frequently Asked Questions about Equivalent Fractions
What are equivalent fractions?
Fractions that show the same amount even though their numbers are different: 1/2, 2/4 and 3/6 are equivalent. You get an equivalent fraction by multiplying or dividing the numerator and the denominator by the same number.
How do you check whether two fractions are equivalent?
Use cross products: multiply the numerator of the first by the denominator of the second, and the denominator of the first by the numerator of the second. If both products are equal, the fractions are equivalent. For example, 2/3 and 6/9: 2 × 9 = 18 and 3 × 6 = 18.
How do you write a fraction in its simplest form?
Divide the numerator and the denominator by a common factor (2, 3, 5…) until they have none left, or in one go by their greatest common factor (GCF). For example, 24/36: the GCF is 12, 24 ÷ 12 = 2 and 36 ÷ 12 = 3, so the simplest form is 2/3.
How do you find a common denominator?
Find the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators: it is the common denominator. Multiply the top and bottom of each fraction by the LCM divided by its denominator. For example, 3/4 and 5/6: the LCM is 12, giving 9/12 and 10/12.
Which grades are the worksheets for?
The pictures suit Grades 4 and 5; multiplying, simplifying by 2, 3 and 5 and cross products, Grade 5; prime factors and common denominators, Grade 6; and the GCF, the LCM from prime factors, cross products to find a missing number and ordering fractions, Grade 7.
Are worksheets or templates stored on a server?
No. Every worksheet is created in your browser and no student data is stored. Templates are kept in your browser’s memory.
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