So, which is more: 1/2 or 3/4? The winner is 3/4. Yes, really—three-quarters is bigger than one-half. I know, it sounds obvious when you say it out loud, but our brains sometimes get tripped up by the numbers. Half sounds like a lot, and it is, but three-quarters is almost a whole thing. Think of it like this: if you have a pizza and you eat half, you’re still hungry. But if you eat three-quarters, you’re stuffed and probably need a nap.
Let’s make it stick with a story. Last weekend, I was making brownies with my niece, Lily. The recipe called for 1/2 cup of oil, but she grabbed the 3/4 cup measuring cup by mistake. “Wait,” she said, “isn’t 1/2 bigger because the number 1 is bigger than 3?” I laughed and pointed at the cup. “No, honey, look—three-quarters fills it up more.” She tilted her head, then poured it in. The brownies came out perfect, and we learned a little lesson together.
