What is the meaning of numerator and denominator?

Answer 1

Numerator is the number in the top of a fraction.

Denominator is the number in the bottom of a fraction.

Any object or group that must be divided into parts is referred to as the 'whole'.

The total number of equal parts being made is represented by the denominator.

The number of these parts being discussed in a particular setting is the numerator.

Example: Cut a pie into 5 equal slices. --- 5 is the denominator.

If you eat one slice --- 1 is the numerator making the fraction 1/5

If I eat two slices (I like pie) --- 2 is the numerator making the fraction 2/5

Now if someone asks how much pie is left, there are 2 slices left, so the numerator is 2 making the fraction 2/5.

Someone else asks how much was eaten, since 3 slices were eaten, 3/5 represents the part of the pie missing because it was eaten.

Numerators can be larger than denominators, these are called improper fractions.

Suppose we have two pies in the above example. Cut both into 5 equal parts.

You eat one slice --- again 1/5 of a pie.

I eat 2 slices --- again 2/5 of a pie. But we had 2 pies, so there are 7 slices left (5 from a whole pie and 2 from the pie we took slices from), this means 7/5 pie is left over.