Dividing Fractions Using Pictures!

Let’s start with something easy…

123

Step 1: Draw a picture of the first number 1

23

1 2

Now split your picture into 1/3 pieces… 1

23

1

31

31

3

1

3

1

3

1

3

Now just count the pieces!1

23

1

31

31

3

1

3

1

3

1

312 3 4 5 6

This means there are SIX 1/3 pieces in 2 wholes!

Let’s Try Dividing a fraction by a fraction!

First, you have to start with ½ of one whole…

½½

1/2

1 1

2 4

Now we divide our whole into fourths

1 1

2 4

1

4

1

4

1

4

1

4

How many ¼ are in ½ of our whole?

2!!!

What about mixed numbers… Let’s try 3 3

14 8

Start by drawing 1 ¾

(1 whole= 4/4) (3/4)

Now let’s divide our picture into eighths

3 314 8

(1 whole= 8/8) (3/4= 6/8)

Now let’s see how many groups of 3/8 we can get from the shaded part (1 ¾)

3 314 8

So we got 4 full groups of 3 and 2 out of the 3 we needed left over… 2

43

But what if the first denominator is larger? Let’s try 5 1

9 3

Go ahead and draw the first fraction…

Since we can’t split our 9ths into 3rds, we will make our second fraction have a common denominator of 9.

5 1

9 3 3 3

3 9

Now let’s see how many sets of 3/9 we can get out of our shaded area (5/9)

5 3

9 9

We have one full set of 3 and 2/3 of another set…

213

Now you try! 1

34

Did you start out with this?

Did you divide into ¼ pieces?1

34

1

41

4

1

41

41

4

1

41

4

1

41

4

1

41

4

1

4

NOW COUNT!!!1

34

1

41

4

1

41

41

4

1

41

4

1

41

4

1

41

4

1

412

34

56

78

910

1112

Now you try!Draw3 3

4 8

Did you start out with this?

Did you divide into 8ths?

Did you find how many groups of 3 you could make?

2!

Let’s try another…

Draw 1 322 8

Did your picture turn out like mine?

1 322 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 2/3263

Our answer=