Cut a whole into 2 equal shares. Each share is one half.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Equal really means equal
Two pieces are halves only if they are the same size.
Saying it
You say "one half of the circle" or "half of the shape".
Halves must be equal
Two halves means two equal shares. Cutting a sandwich into a big piece and a small piece does not make halves, however many pieces there are. Equal size is the whole meaning of the word, and it is the part children skip.
Halving in more than one way
A square can be halved with a vertical cut, a horizontal cut, or a diagonal one. All three give two equal shares. The pieces look different in each case, but each is still one half of the same square.
Two halves rebuild the whole
Put the two halves back together and you have the original shape again — nothing was added or lost. That is the check for whether you really made halves: the pieces must fit back into the whole exactly.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Tap and try it out.
The whole is cut into 2 equal shares, called halves.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Watch Ana Halve a Circle
Ana cuts a circle into two pieces.
- Step 1
She cuts straight through the middle.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
The Sandwich
Problem 1 of 2
A sandwich is shared equally between 2 people. What is each share called?
Putting It Back
Problem 2 of 2
How many halves make one whole?
About Halves
1 of 2
How many equal shares make halves?
2 of 2
Are two pieces halves if one is bigger?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 2
How many halves make one whole?
Question 2 of 2
What must be true about halves?
What You Learned
- Two equal shares are called halves.
- Equal means exactly the same size.
- Two halves make one whole.