Think of it like this: you have two slices of a pie that was cut into three equal pieces. You add two more slices. Now you have four slices of that same three-slice pie. That’s the fraction 4/3.
Four-thirds is an improper fraction, which is just a fancy way of saying “you have more than one whole cup.” Convert it into a mixed number, and boom: 1 and 1/3 cups. That’s your magic number.
Why does this feel harder than rocket science sometimes?
Because measuring cups are liars. They show you “1 cup” and “3/4 cup,” but they never show you “1 and 1/3.” It’s like they expect you to do mental gymnastics while holding a bag of flour. Annoying, right?
But here’s the secret: you can fake it. Fill a 1-cup measure, then add a 1/3-cup measure on top. Or, if you’re lazy like me, just use a 2-cup liquid measuring cup and eyeball the line between 1 cup and 1/2 cup. It’s not that deep.
