Definition
Whole
The whole is the complete object, set, amount, or unit that the parts belong to.
What it means
Before you name a fraction, ask, “What counts as one complete thing here?” That is the whole. It could be one sandwich, a box of 12 counters, or a 1-metre strip. The same fraction can represent different amounts when the wholes are different.
Remember it
Find the one complete thing before you count its parts.
Example
A tray holds 12 strawberries and the tray is the whole. If 3 are eaten, 3/12 of the whole tray—equal to 1/4—has been eaten.
Watch for
A whole does not have to be one physical object; a collection or measured amount can be chosen as one whole.
Common mix-up
“Whole” here means the complete unit being considered, not necessarily a whole number.
Exact meaning
A whole is the complete quantity chosen as one unit for a part–whole relationship. It may be one object, one collection, one length, or another stated amount; a fraction's amount depends on which whole is being used.