Dividing Fractions easy Math quiz
Learn to divide two fractions
Dividing fractions is a bit different from adding, subtracting, or multiplying fractions. When we divide fractions, we’re trying to find out how many times one fraction “fits into” another fraction.
To divide fractions, we can use a technique called “flip and multiply.” To divide two fractions, you first “flip” the second fraction (the one you want to divide into the first fraction), and then multiply the two fractions together.
Here’s an example of dividing 2/3 by 1/4: First, you flip the second fraction (1/4) to get its reciprocal, which is 4/1. Next, you multiply the first fraction (2/3) by the reciprocal (4/1) of the second fraction: 2/3 ÷ 1/4 = (2/3) x (4/1) = 8/3
And the final result 8/3 can be reduced to lowest terms of 2 and 1.
Another example, let’s say we want to divide 4/5 by 2/3 4/5 ÷ 2/3 = (4/5) x (3/2) = 12/10
The result 12/10 can be reduced to lowest terms of 6/5
It’s important to remember that dividing fractions is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal of the second fraction.
It’s also important to note that when dividing fractions, the numerator and denominator get switched like in above examples.
Here’s an acronym that could help you remember this process: “Keep, Flip, Multiply” or “Invert and Multiply”
- Keep the first fraction the same
- Flip the second fraction
- Multiply the two fractions together
It’s important to remember that when dividing fractions, as with any operation involving fractions, the final answer should always be simplified to its lowest terms.
It’s important to note that you can also divide fractions by whole numbers. To divide a fraction by a whole number, you can divide both the numerator and denominator by the same whole number.
For example, to divide 3/4 by 2, you would divide both the numerator (3) and denominator (4) by 2. This gives you 3/4 ÷ 2 = 3/4 x 1/2 = 3/8
I hope this explanation helps you understand how to divide fractions. Remember that practice and repetition are key, so be sure to have your child practice dividing fractions with different numerators and denominators.