Final answer:
To determine whether a value is larger or smaller than 1/4, compare the fractions with the same denominator or their decimal equivalents to see which is greater.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether a given value is larger or smaller than 1/4, you need to compare it with the fraction 1/4. As an example, if we want to compare 1/4 with 2/5, we can convert them to have the same denominator or compare their decimal equivalents. To convert to the same denominator, we can multiply the numerator and denominator of 1/4 by 5 and the numerator and denominator of 2/5 by 4, yielding 5/20 and 8/20 respectively. Clearly, 8/20 is larger than 5/20, so 2/5 is larger than 1/4. If we convert to decimals, 1/4 is equivalent to 0.25 and 2/5 is equivalent to 0.40, which again shows that 2/5 is larger than 1/4.
Using this method, you can compare any given value with 1/4 to determine which is larger.