Division of Fractions Review

Division is rewritten as multiplication by the reciprocal of the divisor. Fraction÷Whole Number, Whole Number÷Fraction and Mixed Number÷Whole Number come first, then proper fraction divided by proper fraction, division mixing fractions and decimals, and Dividing Three Fractions, with word problems on The Base Amount and Per-Unit Quantity to put it all to work.

Taking the reciprocal of the dividend instead of the divisor, which turns the answer upside down, is the most frequent error. In Dividing Three Fractions, some answers invert only the first divisor and multiply the rest as they stand. That dividing by a number less than 1 makes the answer larger is also hard to accept.

With the procedure for multiplying settled by Multiplication of Fractions, this unit takes up its reverse, division. Even between the same two fractions, changing the operation alone completely rebuilds how the answer is found. Decimals join the mix in the next unit, Mixed Operations with Fractions and Decimals, where the procedure learned here becomes just one part of a longer expression.