Dividing a fraction by another fraction may seem tricky at first, but it’s quite simple once you understand the process. To divide a fraction by a fraction, you need to follow these steps:
- Flip the second fraction: Take the fraction you are dividing by and flip it. This means you take the reciprocal of that fraction.
- Change the division to multiplication: Instead of dividing, you will multiply the first fraction by the flipped second fraction. This changes the operation to multiplication, which is easier to work with.
- Multiply the numerators and denominators: Multiply the numerators (the top numbers) together and the denominators (the bottom numbers) together. This will give you a new fraction.
- Simplify the result if possible: Finally, look at your new fraction to see if you can simplify it by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by any common factors.
For example, if you want to divide 1/2 by 3/4, you would:
- Flip 3/4 to get 4/3
- Change the operation: 1/2 ÷ 3/4 becomes 1/2 × 4/3
- Multiply the numerators: 1 × 4 = 4
- Multiply the denominators: 2 × 3 = 6
- Your new fraction is 4/6, which simplifies to 2/3 when you divide both numbers by their common factor of 2.
Following these steps will make dividing fractions straightforward and manageable!