Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2021
Last exams 2024
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Mixed Numbers & Top Heavy Fractions (CIE IGCSE Maths: Core)
Revision Note
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MarkExpertise
Maths
Mixed Numbers & Top Heavy Fractions
What are mixed numbers & top heavy fractions?
- A mixed number has a whole number (integer) part and a fraction part
eg. has the whole number 3 and the fraction , meaning “three and three quarters”
- A top heavy fraction – also called an improper fraction – is one with the top (numerator) bigger than the bottom (denominator)
eg. means “fifteen quarters”
Turning mixed numbers into top heavy fractions
- Multiply the whole number by the denominator (big × bottom)
- Add that value to the numerator
- Write the "new" numerator over the same denominator as before
Turning top heavy fractions into mixed numbers
- Divide the top by the bottom (to get a whole number and a remainder)
- The whole number is the big number
- The fraction part is the remainder over the denominator
Exam Tip
- Top heavy fractions are also called "improper" fractions
Worked example
(a) Write as an improper fraction
Multiply the whole number by the denominator, and add to the numerator. Keep the denominator the same.
Simplify
(b) Write as a mixed number
Divide the top by the bottom
17 ÷ 5 = 3 remainder 2
The final answer is 3, with 2 parts still left over to be divided by 5, which can be written as a mixed number
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