ABSTRACT
A rational number may be viewed as a quotient, that is, as the result of a division. For ex-
ample, 3 4
may be interpreted as the amount of cake each person gets when 3 cakes are di-
vided equally among 4 people. Later, in high school, one might look at the problem this way: I wish to divide three cakes among 4 people. How much cake will each person receive? Let x = the amount of cake each person will receive. Then the solution will be obtained by solving the equation 4x = 3. To solve the equation, you perform a division to get
x = 3 4
. Still later, in more advanced mathematics, one might study the rational numbers as a
is well the elemen-
tary and middle school child, but the foundations for building a solid understanding are laid in the early years. In fact, at their most basic level, quotients arise in fair sharing, an activity well known to preschool children.
