INTRODUCTION TO FRACTIONS (CONTINUED)

DIVIDING FRACTIONS


Dividing fractions means determining how many smaller pieces there are in a larger piece.

For example:
  
          1      1   
         ---  / --- =  2
          2      4
Means: one-half divided by one-fourth is 2

This means there are 2 one-fourth pieces of pizza in a half pizza.

Unit 4 shows you how to do this division.

Here's another way to look at fractions. Imagine that you have a board and you want to cut it into halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and fifths. Here is what those board fractions look like:

<===================one whole board!!====================>

1/2 board 1/2 board

1/4 board 1/4 board 1/4 board 1/4 board

1/3 board1/3 board 1/3 board

1/6 board1/6 board1/6 board 1/6 board1/6 board1/6 board

1/5 board1/5 board1/5 board1/5 board 1/5 board


Notice that the 2 1/4th boards add up to a half board and that the 2 1/6 boards add up to a 1/3 board.

This means that there are 2 one-fourth boards in a half-board and that there are two one-sixth boards in a one-third board!

So now, let's begin!