Any multiplication of fractions can also be interpreted as multiplication and division of whole numbers.
For example, consider
Writing the fractions as division, our expression becomes We use parentheses to make it easier to read.
Since our expression contains multiplication and division only, we can write an equivalent expression by swapping the two divisions. Swapping the and the , we get the following equivalent expression:
If we interpret the divisions as fractions again, then we have another equivalent expression:
Notice that this amounts to swapping the denominators in the original expression.
What fraction is missing from the statement below?
The given expression is
Since our expression contains multiplication and division only, we can write an equivalent expression by swapping the and the :
We can now interpret the divisions as fractions:
So the missing fraction is
What fraction is missing from the statement below?
\[ (8\div 7)\times (3\div 4) = \dfrac{\fbox{$\,\phantom{0}\,$}}{\fbox{$\,\phantom{0}\,$}} \times \dfrac{3}{7} \]
a
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$ \dfrac{3} 8$ |
b
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$ \dfrac{8} 3$ |
c
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$ \dfrac{4} 8$ |
d
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$ \dfrac{4} 7$ |
e
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$ \dfrac{8} 4$ |
What fraction is missing from the statement below?
\[ (3\div 2)\times (4\div 5) = \dfrac{3}{5}\times \dfrac{\fbox{$\,\phantom{0}\,$}}{\fbox{$\,\phantom{0}\,$}} \]
a
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$\dfrac 1 8$ |
b
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$\dfrac 2 4$ |
c
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$\dfrac 1 2$ |
d
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$\dfrac 8 1$ |
e
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$\dfrac 4 2$ |
Find an expression of the form equivalent to
Interpreting the fraction as division, we can write our expression as
We use parentheses to make it easier to read.
Since our expression contains multiplication and division only, we can write an equivalent expression by swapping the and the :
Finally, we can write the and as fractions:
$\dfrac{5}{6}\times\dfrac{12}{5}=$
a
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$ \dfrac{5}{6} \times \dfrac{6}{12}$ |
b
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$ \dfrac{5}{5} \times \dfrac{6}{12}$ |
c
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$ \dfrac{6}{5} \times \dfrac{5}{12}$ |
d
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$ \dfrac{5}{1} \times \dfrac{12}{6}$ |
e
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$ \dfrac{5}{5} \times \dfrac{12}{6}$ |
$\dfrac{6}{5}\times\dfrac{10}{3}=$
a
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$\dfrac{3}{6} \times \dfrac{5}{10}$ |
b
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$\dfrac{6}{10} \times \dfrac{5}{3}$ |
c
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$\dfrac{3}{6} \times \dfrac{10}{5}$ |
d
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$\dfrac{6}{3} \times \dfrac{5}{10}$ |
e
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$\dfrac{6}{3} \times \dfrac{10}{5}$ |
Evaluate
Interpreting the fractions as division, we get
Since our expression contains multiplication and division only, we can create an equivalent expression by swapping the and :
Interpreting the divisions as fractions, we get
Carrying out the divisions, we arrive at
$\dfrac{27}{4}\times \dfrac{8}{9} = $
a
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$6$ |
b
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$8$ |
c
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$16$ |
d
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$18$ |
e
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$7$ |
$\dfrac{12}{7}\times\dfrac{35}{6}=$
a
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$15$ |
b
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$10$ |
c
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$8$ |
d
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$20$ |
e
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$12$ |
When solving a fraction multiplication problem, it's often convenient to simplify the problem before carrying out the multiplication.
For example, let's consider the following multiplication problem:
Notice that the first fraction's numerator () and the second fraction's denominator () have a common factor of
Therefore, we can simplify our problem by first swapping the denominators:
Next, we reduce the first fraction to its lowest terms by dividing the numerator and denominator by
To multiply two fractions, we multiply the numerators and we multiply the denominators:
Therefore, we conclude that
What is expressed as a fraction in lowest terms?
We need to solve the following multiplication problem:
Notice that the first fraction's denominator () and the second fraction's numerator () have a common factor of
Therefore, we can simplify our problem by first swapping the denominators:
Next, we reduce the second fraction to its lowest terms by dividing the numerator and denominator by
To multiply two fractions, we multiply the numerators and we multiply the denominators:
Expressed as a fraction in its lowest terms, $\dfrac{1}{10} \times \dfrac{4}{5} = $
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b
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c
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d
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e
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Expressed as a fraction in lowest terms, $\dfrac{5}{9} \times \dfrac{6}{7} =$
a
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b
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c
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d
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e
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Expressed as a fraction in lowest terms, $\dfrac{4}{81} \times \dfrac{36}{7} =$
a
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b
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c
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d
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e
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