The disappearing clementine

A maths task

I was happily eating a clementine. It had ten segments. This means each segment was one tenth of the clementine.

I have already eaten two segments of this clementine already ~
there were ten to start with

After eating two segments I suddenly thought I could invent some tasks for busy children. There were only eight segments left. Which meant I had still got eight tenths to work with. What fraction of the orange had I eaten? That is easy ~ two tenths. Some people would ask you to simplify that two tenths ~ which means turning it into a smaller pair of numbers ~ in this case one fifth. And what is one fifth expressed as a decimal? Well decimals always work in tenths ~ and so one fifth is two tenths which is zero-point-two 0.2 as a decimal fraction of the whole clementine.

Here are some tasks. In every case you are comparing what is left on the plate ~ which you will have to count ~ with what we started with ~ which is ~ or was ~ always ten.

A ~ What decimal fraction of the whole clementine is in this picture?

I ate a segment of the clementine

B ~ What fraction of the whole clementine is in this picture?

I ate another segment of the clementine

C ~ What fraction of the whole clementine is left now?
D ~ What fraction is left now ~ in lowest possible terms?
E ~ What decimal fraction of the whole clementine is left now?

I ate some more clementine

F ~In the lowest possible terms ~ what fraction is left now?
G ~ What decimal fraction of the whole clementine is available for eating?

I was enjoying the clementine

H ~ What decimal fraction of the whole clementine has now been eaten?

I was enjoying the clementine. I am sorry I cannot share it with you.

J ~ What decimal fraction of the whole clementine now remains?

I have enjoyed lots of clementine. I am sorry I cannot share any with you.

K ~ What?

Only ten per cent of the clemetnine is now left. I have eaten 90% of it. Even if you have not done percentages can you understand what I have just written?

L ~ What?

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Last updated 2022~0710~1128
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