Chapter 3: Problem 27
Find the following quotients. $$\left(8 \div 1 \frac{1}{4}\right) \div 2$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The quotient is \(\frac{16}{5}\).
Step by step solution
01
Convert Mixed Number to Improper Fraction
The first step is to convert the mixed number \(1 \frac{1}{4}\) into an improper fraction. A mixed number is a combination of a whole number and a fraction. To convert it: \(1 \frac{1}{4} = \frac{5}{4}\).
02
Rewrite the division as multiplication
Division by a fraction is equivalent to multiplication by its reciprocal. For \(8 \div \frac{5}{4}\), we rewrite it as: \(8 \times \frac{4}{5}\).
03
Perform the multiplication
Now multiply: \(8 \times \frac{4}{5} = \frac{32}{5}\). This fraction is the result of the first operation.
04
Divide by 2
The problem now becomes dividing \(\frac{32}{5}\) by 2. Divide the numerator of the fraction by 2: \(\frac{32}{5} \div 2 = \frac{32}{5} \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{32}{10}\).
05
Simplify the fraction
Finally, simplify the fraction \(\frac{32}{10}\). Both numerator and denominator can be divided by 2: \(\frac{32}{10} = \frac{16}{5}\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Improper fractions
An improper fraction is a type of fraction where the numerator, which is the top number, is larger than or equal to the denominator, the bottom number. This means the fraction represents a value greater than or equal to one whole. For example, \( \frac{5}{4} \) is an improper fraction because 5 is larger than 4.
- To convert a mixed number into an improper fraction, multiply the whole number by the denominator and add the numerator.
- For \(1 \frac{1}{4}\), multiply 1 by 4 (denominator) which gives us 4, and then add 1 (numerator) to get 5. This makes \( \frac{5}{4} \).
- Thus, knowing how to switch between these forms is useful in division and multiplication problems involving fractions.
Mixed numbers
A mixed number combines a whole number and a proper fraction together. It indicates parts of a whole plus whole numbers. For instance, the number \(1 \frac{1}{4}\) consists of the whole number 1 and the fraction \(\frac{1}{4}\). To easily read and understand it:
- It's useful to convert them into improper fractions when carrying out operations such as division or multiplication.
- This makes computations smoother, especially when a problem involves multiple fraction operations.
- Always convert mixed numbers like \(1 \frac{1}{4}\) into improper fractions \(\frac{5}{4}\) to simplify computation steps directly.
Reciprocal
A reciprocal of a fraction is what you multiply that fraction by to get the result as 1. In simpler terms, it's flipping a fraction upside down. This is a powerful tool
- The reciprocal of \( \frac{5}{4} \) is \( \frac{4}{5} \). It is used to transform division into easier multiplication problems.
- To find the reciprocal, just switch the numerator and the denominator of the fraction.
- Using reciprocals in operation allows us to handle fractions systematically in multi-step arithmetic operations.