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Dividing fractions, a pedagogical technique
Dividing fractions, as easy as pie,
Flip the second fraction, then multiply.
And don't forget to simplify,
Before it's time to say goodbye.
We have all heard the rhyme, and perhaps taught it ourselves to our students. When dividing one fraction by a second fraction, invert, that is, flip the second fraction, then multiply it by the first fraction. To multiply fractions, simply multiply across the denominators, and multiply across the numerators to get the resultant fraction. So by inverting the division of fractions we turn it into an easy multiplication of fractions problem.
History
Publication title
Australian Mathematics TeacherVolume
72Pagination
18-19ISSN
0045-0685Publisher
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.Place of publication
AustraliaRepository Status
- Restricted