Dividing Unit Fractions by Whole Numbers

A quicker method is to do the inverse operation, keeping the numerator as 1, and multiplying the denominator by the whole number. In this example, you would multiply 4 by 3 to get 12, and keep the numerator as 1 to get the result $\frac{1}{12}$.

We start with the unit fraction, $\frac{1}{8}$, and our divisor, the whole number 3.

We could imagine a round cake cut into 8 equal slices. Focus on one slice, which represents $\frac{1}{8}$ of the cake.

Divide this $\frac{1}{8}$ slice of the cake into 3 smaller, equal parts. These parts will be smaller than the original $\frac{1}{8}$.

Each of these new, smaller parts represents a fraction of the original $\frac{1}{8}$ slice. Since we divided it into 3 parts, each new part is $\frac{1}{24}$ of the whole cake.

Keep the numerator as 1, and multiply the denominator, 8, by the whole number 3 to get 24. We will get $\frac{1}{24}$ for our answer.

Another method for quickly dividing unit fractions by a whole is to think KFC! This stands for Keep, Flip, Change. This means keep the first unit fraction the same, flip the whole number to make it into a fraction with the denominator of $1$ and then change the division to a multiplication. An example of this would be $\frac{1}{4}$ divided by $2$ using the KFC method would make the calculation, $\frac{1}{4} \times \frac{1}{2}$ which equals $\frac{1}{8}$.

Dividing $\frac{1}{5}$ by 2 gives us $\frac{1}{10}$.

$\frac{1}{3}$ divided by 3 equals $\frac{1}{9}$

$\frac{1}{8}$ $\div$ 4 $=$ $\frac{1}{32}$

A unit fraction is a fraction where the numerator (top number) is 1 and the denominator (bottom number) is any whole number.

To divide a unit fraction by a whole number, you split the fraction into as many equal parts as the whole number, creating a smaller unit fraction.

The fraction becomes smaller. The denominator increases, making each part of the fraction smaller than the original unit fraction.

Yes, for example, dividing $\frac{1}{8}$ by 3 results in $\frac{1}{24}$.

It's a fundamental skill in mathematics that helps with understanding fractions better and is used in various real-world applications.

Yes, the result is always a unit fraction, since the numerator of the result is always 1.

No, it does not change the value but represents the fraction in a different form, showing how the whole is divided into smaller parts.

Visual tools help by providing a concrete representation of how the fraction is divided, making it easier to grasp the concept.

The resulting fraction will still be a unit fraction, but with a much larger denominator, indicating very small parts of the whole.

Yes, understanding how to divide unit fractions is useful in real-life scenarios like dividing resources or measuring ingredients in cooking.