Dividing Fractions

A fraction represents a part of a whole and is written as $$\frac{a}{b}$$ , where 'a' is the numerator and 'b' is the denominator.

The numerator is the top part of a fraction and represents how many parts of the whole are being considered.

The denominator is the bottom part of a fraction and indicates the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into.

The reciprocal of a fraction $$\frac{a}{b}$$ is $$\frac{b}{a}$$ , obtained by flipping the numerator and denominator.

The rule for dividing fractions is 'Keep, Change, Flip' (KCF). Keep the first fraction, change the division to multiplication, and flip the second fraction.

Use KCF: $$\frac{3}{4} \div \frac{2}{5} = \frac{3}{4} \times \frac{5}{2} = \frac{15}{8}$$ .

$$\frac{8}{9} \div \frac{1}{5} = \frac{8}{9} \times 5 = \frac{40}{9}$$ .

The first step is to keep the first fraction as it is.

The second step is to change the division sign to a multiplication sign.

The third step is to flip the second fraction (take its reciprocal).