Rewrite the expression so that all of the numbers are fractions. Remember that dividing fractions is the same as multiplying the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction.
1/20
Practice makes perfect
Before we evaluate the expression, let's first rewrite it so that all of the numbers are fractions. Remember that each integer can be written as a fraction with a denominator of 1.
2/5÷ 8=2/5÷ 8/1
Now, recall that dividing fractions is the same as multiplying the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction.
2/5÷8/1=2/5*1/8
When we multiply fractions, we need to remember that the product of two fractions is equal to the product of the numerators divided by the product of the denominators. Let's find the given product!
We can simplify the quotient 240 because 2 and 40 have a common factor. This factor is 2. Let's simplify the quotient 240 by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by 2.
There are no more common factors between the numerator and the denominator. Also, since the denominator is greater than the numerator, we cannot write the quotient as a mixed number. This means that the answer is in the simplest possible form.
Checking Our Answer
We can check our answer by finding the quotient using a calculator. However, most calculators will give the quotient as a decimal number. Because our answer is a fraction, we need to compare the quotient of the original fractions to the decimal that is equivalent to the final quotient that we found. First, let's find the decimal form of our quotient.
Now we will find the quotient of the fractions using the calculator. Remember to use parentheses around each of the fractions so that the order of operations is performed correctly! Calculators cannot read our minds, unfortunately.
Because the calculator found the same decimal for both calculations, we know that our answer was correct!
