Dividing Fractions

Date: 8/17/96 at 16:34:16
From: Anonymous
Subject: Dividing Two Fractions

What is one-half divided by three-fourths?

Date: 8/18/96 at 1:4:8
From: Doctor Paul
Subject: Re: Dividing Two Fractions

To divide fractions, what we really do is multiply by the reciprocal.

For example:

  a
 ---
  b            a     d
-----   =     --- * ---
  c            b     c
 ---
  d

so 1/2  /   3/4

is equal to:

 1     4
--- * ---
 2     3

To multiply fractions, we just multiply straight across:

 4
---
 6

and that reduces to 

 2
---
 3

I hope this helps you.  

Regards,

-Doctor Paul,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/