Question

If you were given a fractional strip, that did not have any subdivisions marked like this one pictured below, how would you determine the fractional amount of the bar that is shaded?

Answer 1

9514 1404 393

Answer:

it depends on the accuracy and resolution required of the answer

Explanation:

The shaded portion appears to be about half the length of the unshaded portion, suggesting the shaded amount is 1/3.

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Using a pair of dividers, one could determine the number of times the shaded portion fits into the whole bar. Depending on how much is left over, the process could repeat to determine the approximate size of the remaining fraction relative to the bar or to the shaded portion. (Alternatively, one could replicate the length of the bar to see what integer number of shaded lengths fit into what integer number of whole lengths.)

One could measure the shaded part and the whole bar with a ruler, then determine the relative size of the shaded part by dividing the first measurement by the second. The finer the divisions on the ruler, the better the approximation will be.