A quarter is one of four equal parts of a whole. A quarter is also called a fourth or one-fourth. We write one quarter as 1/4.
For example, imagine a pizza cut into four equal slices. Each slice is one quarter of the pizza. If you put all four slices together, you have one whole pizza.
Quick answer: A quarter means one out of four equal parts. Four quarters make one whole.
See How One Whole Becomes Four Quarters
Start with one whole paper strip. Divide it into two equal parts. Each part is one-half. Now divide each half into two equal parts. The strip has four equal parts.
Each part is one quarter:
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| 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 | 1/4 |
The parts must be equal in size. If a shape has four pieces but one piece is larger than the others, those pieces are not four quarters.
The same idea works with many objects. One quarter of a sandwich is one of four equal sandwich pieces. One quarter of a group of 12 counters is 3 counters because 12 counters can be shared into four equal groups of 3.
How Do You Write a Quarter?
The words quarter, fourth, and one-fourth describe the same fraction. The fraction form is 1/4.
In 1/4:
•The 4 is the denominator. It tells us that the whole is divided into four equal parts.
•The 1 is the numerator. It tells us that we are describing one of those parts.
A fraction bar separates the numerator and denominator. The fraction 1/4 means one equal part out of four equal parts.
A fraction circle or rectangle makes this easier to see:
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Whole: [■■■■] One quarter: [■□□□]
The shaded section is one quarter of the whole.
How Do You Find a Quarter of a Number?
To find one quarter of a number, divide the number by 4. This works because a quarter means sharing a whole into four equal groups.
Example: Find 1/4 of 20
Separate 20 counters into 4 equal groups:
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20 ÷ 4 = 5
So, 1/4 of 20 is 5.
Another example is:
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1/4 of 12 = 12 ÷ 4 = 3
So, one quarter of 12 is 3.
You can also find a quarter by taking half and then taking half again. Half of 20 is 10, and half of 10 is 5. The result is the same.
Quarters in Everyday Math
The word quarter appears in several everyday math situations. Each one uses the same main idea: four equal parts make one whole.
| Situation | What one quarter means |
| A shape or object | One of four equal parts |
| A dollar | 25 cents, or $0.25 |
| An hour | 15 minutes |
| A circle | One-fourth of the circle |
A quarter of a dollar is 25 cents because a dollar has 100 cents and 100 ÷ 4 = 25. Four quarters have a total value of $1.00.
A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes because an hour has 60 minutes and 60 ÷ 4 = 15. On an analog clock, each quarter hour is marked by a quarter turn around the clock face.
The coin called a quarter is worth 25 cents. It represents one-fourth of one dollar, not one-fourth of every amount of money. For example, one quarter is 1/4 of a dollar, but it is not 1/4 of $2.00.
A Quarter in Shapes and on a Number Line
A quarter circle is one-fourth of a full circle. A rectangle can also be divided into four equal parts, even when the parts do not look exactly like pieces of a circle.
A number line shows that 1/4 is a number between 0 and 1:
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0 —- 1/4 —- 1/2 —- 3/4 —- 1
The four equal spaces from 0 to 1 are each one quarter. Moving four quarter steps reaches one whole:
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1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 1
This model helps show that fractions are numbers, not only pieces of objects. Visual models such as fraction bars, circles, and number lines support early fraction understanding.
Common Mistake: The Parts Must Be Equal
A student may see a shape divided into four sections and call each section a quarter. That answer is correct only when the four sections are equal parts of the same whole.
For example, a rectangle divided into four strips of the same size has four quarters. A rectangle divided into one large section and three small sections does not have four quarters.
Another common mistake is thinking that 1/4 is larger than 1/3 because 4 is greater than 3. When one whole is divided into more equal parts, each part becomes smaller. Therefore, one-fourth is smaller than one-third:
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1 whole divided into 3 parts: [■■■] each part is larger 1 whole divided into 4 parts: [■■■■] each part is smaller
Try It
A pizza is cut into 4 equal slices. Noah eats 3 slices.
1.What fraction of the pizza did Noah eat?
2.What fraction of the pizza remains?
3.How many slices represent one quarter of the pizza?
Answers: Noah ate 3/4 of the pizza. 1/4 remains. One slice represents 1/4.
Frequently Asked Questions About Quarters
Is a quarter the same as one-fourth?
Yes. In fraction language, a quarter, a fourth, and one-fourth all mean one of four equal parts. They are written as 1/4.
How many quarters make one whole?
Four quarters make one whole because 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 4/4 = 1.
What is a quarter of 16?
Divide 16 by 4: 16 ÷ 4 = 4. Therefore, one quarter of 16 is 4.
How many cents are in a quarter?
A quarter coin is worth 25 cents. Four quarters equal 100 cents, or one dollar.
How many minutes are in a quarter hour?
There are 15 minutes in a quarter hour because 60 minutes divided by 4 equals 15.
Does a quarter always have to be a piece of a circle?
No. A quarter can be one of four equal parts of a rectangle, a group of objects, a dollar, an hour, or another whole. A quarter circle is only one specific shape example.
A quarter is easiest to recognize when you ask two questions: What is the whole? and Is it divided into four equal parts?
Related Terms
Not Equal, whole, Fact Family, equal parts, half, fourth, and quarter circle are useful related terms for this topic.