How do you divide a fraction by a fraction?

To divide a fraction by a fraction, write the reciprocal of the divisor. Simplify the fractions if possible. Multiply the numerators and then the denominators.

Example:

To divide a fraction by a fraction:

Dawn has img hour before softball practice to do some reading for homework. It takes her img hour to read 1 page. To find how many pages Dawn can read before softball practice, divide img hour by img.

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First, write the reciprocal of the divisor by switching the numerator and denominator.

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Before multiplying the fractions, check if you can simplify the fractions: divide any numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor. The greatest common factor of 4 and 10 is 2, so cross out and divide both numbers by 2.

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Now, multiply the simplified numerators and denominators.

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Write the product as a whole or mixed number by dividing the numerator by the denominator.

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Dawn can read img pages in img hour.

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