Fractions can sometimes feel like a puzzle, but they’re actually super useful in everyday life! Think about sharing a pizza, measuring ingredients for baking, or even figuring out how much time you have left before your favorite show starts. Once you understand the basics, working with fractions becomes much easier and even fun.
Today, we’re going to tackle a specific type of fraction problem: dividing a whole number by a fraction. Specifically, we’ll be focusing on the question of 2 divided by 4/5. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds! We’ll break it down step-by-step so you can confidently solve similar problems in the future.
Unlocking the Mystery
Dividing by a fraction might seem odd, but here’s the key: it’s the same as multiplying by the reciprocal of that fraction. The reciprocal of 4/5 is 5/4. So, instead of dividing 2 by 4/5, we can multiply 2 by 5/4. This simple trick makes the whole process much easier to handle.
Now, let’s do the math! We have 2 multiplied by 5/4. We can rewrite 2 as a fraction: 2/1. So, we have (2/1) (5/4). Multiply the numerators (2 5 = 10) and the denominators (1 4 = 4). This gives us 10/4. We can simplify this fraction further.
The fraction 10/4 can be simplified to 5/2. Both 10 and 4 are divisible by 2, so dividing both by 2 gives us 5/2. This is an improper fraction (the numerator is larger than the denominator). We can convert it into a mixed number for easier understanding.
To convert 5/2 to a mixed number, we see how many times 2 goes into 5. It goes in twice (2 2 = 4) with a remainder of 1. So, 5/2 is equal to 2 and 1/2. Therefore, 2 divided by 4/5 equals 2 and 1/2, or 2.5. Now you know the answer!
Understanding how to divide by fractions opens up a whole new world of math possibilities! Practice with different numbers and fractions to solidify your understanding. Remember, the key is to multiply by the reciprocal. Keep exploring, and you’ll become a fraction master in no time!