Denominator and Numerator Common Denominator

Denominator and Numerator

The denominator indicates the number of equal parts in which the whole thing has to be divided.
The numerator indicates the number of divisions selected out of the total number of equal parts.
This would be better explained with the help of an Example.
3/4 is a fraction in which the denominator 4 represents that 4 equal divisions have to be made.
3 parts selected out of 4 equal parts created out from 1 circle can be represented as 3/4.
Diagrammatic representation of ¾ is as follows:

The diagram clearly shows three equal parts taken out when the whole circle is divided into four equal parts.

What is the Common Denominator?

When two fractions have the same value in the denominator then they are common. They are also called like and unlike fractions based on the similarity between the denominators. Suppose when we perform the arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction, then the denominator of the fractions should be common or equal. But fractions can be multiplied or divided even though the denominators of the fractions are not the same or common. Let us see some examples here;

1. 
   1/2 +3/2 = (1+3)/2 = 4/2 = 2
   
2. 
   4/7 – 2/7 = (4-2)/7 = 2/7
   
3. 
   1/2 x 1/3 = (1 x 1)/(2 x 3) = 1/6
   
4. 
   4/5 ÷ 3/7 = 4/5 x 7/3 = (4 x 7)/(5 x 3) = 28/15
   

Least Common Denominator(LCD)

The least common denominator of two or more non-zero denominators is the smallest whole number that is divisible by each of the denominators.

Frequently Asked Questions on Denominator

What is the difference between numerator and denominator?

In a fraction, the top number is called the numerator and the bottom number is called the denominator. For example, ⅘ is a fraction. Here, 4 is the numerator and 5 is the denominator. Similarly, the numerator defines how many parts we have and the bottom number represents how many equal parts the object is divided into.