What happens to a fraction when the numerator stays the same and the denominator increases?

Study for the Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects Mathematics (5003) Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

When the numerator of a fraction remains constant while the denominator increases, the overall value of the fraction decreases. This occurs because a fraction represents a division of the numerator by the denominator. For example, if the fraction is ( \frac{3}{4} ), and the denominator is increased to 5 to become ( \frac{3}{5} ), the value of the second fraction is less than the value of the first fraction (0.6 is less than 0.75). As the denominator becomes larger, the portion of the total represented by the numerator becomes smaller, thus resulting in a lesser value for the fraction. Therefore, as the denominator increases with a constant numerator, the fraction decreases in value.

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