Dividing fractions is done by flipping the second fraction and multiplying. Once you know this keep, change, flip method, division becomes as easy as multiplication.
Step by step
- Write the division problemSet up the two fractions with a division sign, for example 1/2 divided by 3/4.
- Keep the first fractionLeave the first fraction exactly as it is. In the example, 1/2 stays the same.
- Change division to multiplicationReplace the division sign with a multiplication sign.
- Flip the second fractionSwap the top and bottom of the second fraction to get its reciprocal. So 3/4 becomes 4/3.
- Multiply acrossMultiply the numerators and the denominators. Here 1 times 4 over 2 times 3 gives 4/6.
- Simplify the answerReduce the fraction to lowest terms. In the example, 4/6 simplifies to 2/3.
Handy tips
- The reciprocal of a fraction is just that fraction turned upside down.
- To divide by a whole number, write it over 1 first, so dividing by 5 means multiplying by 1/5.
- Dividing by a fraction less than 1 gives an answer larger than the number you started with.
FAQ
Why do you flip the second fraction?
Dividing by a number is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal. Flipping the second fraction turns the division into an equivalent multiplication problem.
Do I flip the first fraction or the second?
Only the second fraction, the one you are dividing by. The first fraction stays unchanged.
How do I divide a fraction by a whole number?
Write the whole number as a fraction over 1, then flip it. For example, 3/4 divided by 2 becomes 3/4 times 1/2, which equals 3/8.