1/4 Divided by 19/12: The Math Explained

less than a minute read 24-10-2024
1/4 Divided by 19/12: The Math Explained

Table of Contents :

Understanding how to divide fractions can seem tricky at first, but with the right approach, it becomes much clearer. Today, we’ll dive into the problem of dividing ( \frac{1}{4} ) by ( \frac{19}{12} ). Let’s break it down step-by-step! 🧮✨

Step 1: Understand the Division of Fractions

When we divide one fraction by another, we actually multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction. The reciprocal of a fraction is simply flipping the numerator and the denominator.

So, for the problem ( \frac{1}{4} \div \frac{19}{12} ):

  1. Original fractions:

    • Numerator: ( 1 )
    • Denominator: ( 4 )
    • Divisor (the fraction to divide by): ( \frac{19}{12} )
  2. Reciprocal of ( \frac{19}{12} ):

    • To get the reciprocal, switch the numerator and denominator to get ( \frac{12}{19} ).

Step 2: Multiply Instead of Divide

Now we can rewrite our division as multiplication:

[ \frac{1}{4} \div \frac{19}{12} = \frac{1}{4} \times \frac{12}{19} ]

Step 3: Perform the Multiplication

To multiply two fractions, you multiply the numerators together and the denominators together:

[ \frac{1 \times 12}{4 \times 19} = \frac{12}{76} ]

Step 4: Simplify the Result

Now we need to simplify ( \frac{12}{76} ). To do this, we can find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 12 and 76.

Finding the GCD

  1. The factors of 12: ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 )
  2. The factors of 76: ( 1, 2, 4, 19, 38, 76 )

Common Factors: ( 1, 2, 4 )
GCD: ( 4 )

Now we can simplify by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their GCD:

[ \frac{12 \div 4}{76 \div 4} = \frac{3}{19} ]

Final Result

The result of ( \frac{1}{4} \div \frac{19}{12} ) is:

[ \boxed{\frac{3}{19}} 🏁 ]

Important Note:

"Always remember to simplify your fractions whenever possible to make your answers clearer!"

Summary Table

Operation Fraction Result
Division ( \frac{1}{4} \div \frac{19}{12} ) ( \frac{3}{19} )
Reciprocal of Divisor ( \frac{19}{12} ) ( \frac{12}{19} )
Multiplication of Numerators ( 1 \times 12 ) ( 12 )
Multiplication of Denominators ( 4 \times 19 ) ( 76 )
GCD of 12 and 76 ( 4 )
Simplified Result ( \frac{3}{19} )

By following these steps, you should feel more confident in tackling problems involving division of fractions! Happy calculating! 🥳