Comment by doublerabbit
4 days ago
> For times tables, have you developed any intuition around it?
I've tried different approaches. 4x3 being 3x4
But somehow I end up miscounting and giving the answer for 4x4 or be off a digit every-time.
A good example was that I was at a brewery last night.
They didn't do pint glasses but glasses of: 1/4, 1/2 and 2/3rd's.
I thought 1/2 was more than 2/3rd's so I ordered a 1/2 rather than thinking I was getting more.
However I was unable to visual how 2/3 is more than 1/2 when 1/2 is half a pint, or half a glass.
My visual capabilities are great at others but just couldn't formulate the equation of 2/3 is more than 1/2.
Very simple stuff, but it just doesn't meld.
What _is_ a fraction to you? How do you visualize it? I didn't calculate to decimal to compare the size of those fractions (I couldn't tell you intuitively if 5/7 is more than 9/13, I would have to convert the denominator or calculate the decimal).
For me, a progress bar or a pizza is the default. And because I cook rice daily and we were talking volume, my "progress bar" was like a measuring cup. Mentally, I can stand two measuring cups next one another, and filling one of two parts is less than filling two of three parts.
Maybe there are ways to be more aware of or insert ways to force the use of fractions in physical space. More cooking, more building, etc. The more comfortable you get the more intuition you should build
Famously the A&W restaurant chain failed when introducing a 1/3 lb hamburger because many customers thought it was smaller than a 1/4 lb hamburger.
https://awrestaurants.com/blog/aw-third-pound-burger-fractio...
> However I was unable to visual how 2/3 is more than 1/2 when 1/2 is half a pint, or half a glass.
Maybe visualize splitting a pint with a friend. If you split the pint into 2 equal parts and each of you gets 1 of those 2 parts you each get the same amount.
Then visualize splitting it instead into 3 equal parts. You get 1 of those parts and your buddy gets 2. There's no fractions there so it should be easier to visualize that your buddy got twice as much as you did.
Comparing those two visualizations might make it easier to see that someone who gets 2/3 of a pint gets more than someone who gets 1/2 of a pint.