How To Add Fractions College Algebra

divide and write the answeras a mixed number. and we have 3/5 dividedby 1/2. now, whenever you're dividingany fractions, you just have to remember that dividing by afraction is the same thing as multiplying by its reciprocal.

How To Add Fractions College Algebra, so this thing right here is thesame thing as 3/5 times-- so this is our 3/5 right here,and instead of a division sign, you want a multiplicationsign, and instead of a 1/2, you want totake the reciprocal of 1/2,

which would be 2/1--so times 2/1. so dividing by 1/2 is theexact same thing as multiplying by 2/1. and we just do this as astraightforward multiplication problem now. 3 times 2 is 6, so ournew numerator is 6. 5 times 1 is 5. so 3/5 divided by 1/2 as animproper fraction is 6/5. now, they want us to writeit as at mixed number.

so we divide the 5 intothe 6, figure out how many times it goes. that'll be the whole numberpart of the mixed number. and then whatever's left overwill be the remaining numerator over 5. so what we'll do istake 5 into 6. 5 goes into 6 one time. 1 times 5 is 5. subtract.

you have a remainder of 1. so 6/5 is equal to one whole,or 5/5, and 1/5. this 1 comes from whateveris left over. and now we're done! 3/5 divided by 1/2is 1 and 1/5. now, the one thing that's notobvious is why did this work? why is dividing by 1/2 thesame thing as multiplying essentially by 2. 2/1 is the same thing as 2.

and to do that, i'll do a littleside-- fairly simple-- example, but hopefully, itgets the point across. let me take four objects. so we have four objects:one, two, three, four. so i have four objects, and ifi were to divide into groups of two, so i want to divideit into groups of two. so that is one group of two andthen that is another group of two, how many groupsdo i have? well, 4 divided by 2, i have twogroups of two, so that is

equal to 2. now, what if i took thosesame four objects: one, two, three, four. so i'm taking thosesame four objects. instead of dividing them intogroups of two, i want to divide them into groups of 1/2,which means each group will have half ofan object in it. so let's say that would beone group right there. that is a second group.

that is a third group. i think you see each group hashalf of a circle in it. that is the fourth. that's the fifth. that's the sixth. that's the seventh, and thenthat's the eighth. you have eight groups of 1/2,so this is equal to 8. and notice, now each of theobjects became two groups. so you could say how manygroups do you have?

well, you have four objectsand each of them became two groups. i'm looking for adifferent color. each of them becametwo groups, and so you also have eight. so dividing by 1/2 is the samething as multiplying by 2. and you could think about itwith other numbers, but hopefully, that gives you alittle bit of an intuition.