Fraction of a Dollar

When writing amounts of money, two forms can be used: cents and dollars.

• To write cents, use a cent sign and do not use a decimal point with it. A quarter is worth 25 cents, or 25¢.
• To write dollars, use a decimal point and dollar sign, $1.00. A decimal point is also used to show fractions of a dollar. A fraction is part of a whole, so "a fraction of a dollar" is a part of a dollar. A quarter, or $0.25, means “twenty-five hundredths of a dollar,” which is a fraction of a dollar equal to 25 cents.

Discuss with a parent or teacher the name and value of each coin below:

Now that you have discussed the name and value of each coin, let’s look at what “fraction of a dollar” each coin is. Think about how many parts equal a whole. In this case, the parts are the coins and the whole is the dollar:

Name of Coin	Coin	Value	"Fraction of a Dollar"
penny		$0.01	1/100
nickel		$0.05	5/100
dime		$0.10	10/100
quarter		$0.25	25/100

 

Discuss with a parent or teacher:

• How many pennies equal a dollar?
• How many nickels equal a dollar?
• How many dimes equal a dollar?
• How many quarters equal a dollar?

Now use the table above to work through the examples below:

Example
A penny is what fraction of a dollar?

Since 100 pennies equals one dollar, then one penny is 1/100 of a dollar.

Example
A dime is what fraction of a dollar?

Since ten dimes equals one dollar, then one dime is 1/10 of a dollar.

Example
Three quarters are what fraction of a dollar?

Four quarters equal a dollar, so each quarter is ¼ of a dollar. Three quarters would be ¼ + ¼ + ¼ , or ¾ of a dollar.

Watch this short explanation on Fractions of a Dollar (Quarters):

 

Discuss with a parent or teacher how many quarters would make a dollar.

• How many pennies make up a dollar?
• How do you determine "the fraction of a dollar" that a certain coin is?

Now, you will move on to the Got It? section to complete interactive practice with fractions of a dollar.