Imagine it’s Pumpkin Festival. Your family wants to set up a HUGE water slide.
You ask Mr. Skye and Mr. Reyn how much of Osco Field you can use.
Mr. Skye says, “You can’t go all the way along that back edge. You go about 3/4 of the way along.”
Mr. Reyn says, “And you can come about about 1/3 of the way along the other fence.”
A friend then asks you, “So how much of Osco Field can you use?”
She wants to answer as a fraction.
Your dad says, “Area is calculated by multiplying the length by the width.”
Your mom says, “The length is 3/4 of the way along the back fence.”
Your older brother says, “And our width is 1/3 along that other fence.”
Your older sister says, “So we multiply 3/4 by 1/3.”
And you say, “3/12 — or, if I reduce it — 1/4.”
Look at the diagram above.
See the 3/12 that is shaded green?
It’s 3/12 of the whole of Osco Field — even though we’re not concerned about the whole!