Question

Shaun plotted a point on the number line by drawing 5 equally spaced marks between 0 and 1 and placing a point in the third mark. He claims that the point represents the fraction 3/5 because each mark represents 1/5, so the third mark represents 3/5. Explain why his reasoning is incorrect.

Answer 1

If it is 5 equally spaced marks, then each mark represents 1/6

0 -- 1/6 -- 2/6 -- 3/6 -- 4/6 -- 5/6 -- 1

so the third mark would represent 3/6 which reduces to 1/2