Which is larger: 2/3 or 3/5?

Which is larger: 2/3 or 3/5?

• A. 3/5
• B. 2/3
• C. 1
• D. 4/5

Answer: (B)

When comparing fractions with different denominators, the key is to see which fraction represents more parts of the same-sized whole. A quick way is cross-multiplication: multiply the numerator of each fraction by the other fraction’s denominator. The larger product indicates the larger fraction. For these two fractions, multiply 2 by 5 to get 10, and 3 by 3 to get 9. Since 10 is bigger than 9, the first fraction is larger. So two-thirds is larger than three-fifths. If you prefer another view, converting to a common denominator shows the same result: 2/3 becomes 10/15 and 3/5 becomes 9/15, and 10/15 is larger than 9/15.

When comparing fractions with different denominators, the key is to see which fraction represents more parts of the same-sized whole. A quick way is cross-multiplication: multiply the numerator of each fraction by the other fraction’s denominator. The larger product indicates the larger fraction.

For these two fractions, multiply 2 by 5 to get 10, and 3 by 3 to get 9. Since 10 is bigger than 9, the first fraction is larger. So two-thirds is larger than three-fifths. If you prefer another view, converting to a common denominator shows the same result: 2/3 becomes 10/15 and 3/5 becomes 9/15, and 10/15 is larger than 9/15.