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3 Steps to Dividing Fractions

A fraction is how you express a number that is only a part of the whole. The fraction tells you the ratio of one section to the entire object or number. For example, two slices of pizza from an eight-slice pizza is a quarter, or 1/4, of the whole pizza. Fractions can also be described in decimals, but you do not have to convert a fraction to a decimal to divide one fraction by another.
  1. Write the Fractions

    • Write the fractions you want to divide together, aligning the division line between the top and bottom numbers and placing a division sign between the two fractions. The first fraction is on top of the larger division problem you are solving. The second fraction is the one you want to divide by. For example, to divide 1/4 by 3/8, your equation reads 1/4 ÷ 3/8. When written with a division sign, the equation shows 1/4 over 3/8, (1/4)/(3/8).

    Rewrite the Fractions

    • Flip the second fraction (3/8) upside down, placing the 8 on top of the fraction and the 3 on the bottom. Change the sign from a division sign to a multiplication sign. The previous example now reads 1/4 × 8/3. Multiplying the reciprocal fraction (a fraction flipped upside down) is equivalent to dividing one fraction by another.

    Multiply

    • Multiply across the top part of the fraction and then across the bottom of the fraction. In this example, multiply 1 by 8, giving you 8 on the top part of the fraction. On the bottom of the fraction, multiply 4 by 3 to equal 12. The final equation reads 8/12. Do not flip the equation again. This is your answer.

    Simplify

    • Simplify the fraction by dividing the fraction by the largest number the top and bottom numbers have in common: 2 and 4 both divide evenly into 8 and 12; and 4 is a larger number and gives us the simplest version of the fraction, 2/3. If there is no number that evenly divides into both numbers, the fraction is in its simplest form.

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