1/5 divided by 3

Guri Bee

less than a minute read

·

20-10-2024

1

0

Share

Unraveling the Mystery: 1/5 Divided by 3

Dividing fractions can be tricky, but it's essential for understanding various mathematical concepts. Let's dive into the problem of dividing 1/5 by 3 and explore the steps involved.

Understanding the Problem

Imagine you have a pizza cut into 5 equal slices, and you want to share this pizza equally among 3 friends. You need to figure out how much pizza each friend gets, which translates to dividing the 1/5 slice (representing the pizza you have) by 3 (representing the number of friends).

The Solution

1. Reciprocal: Instead of directly dividing by 3, we multiply by its reciprocal. The reciprocal of 3 is 1/3.

2. Multiplication: We now multiply 1/5 by 1/3:

   (1/5) * (1/3) = 1/(5*3) = 1/15

The Answer:

Therefore, 1/5 divided by 3 is equal to 1/15. Each of your friends will get 1/15th of the whole pizza.

Real-World Application

This concept is valuable in everyday life. Imagine you have a recipe that calls for 1/5 cup of flour, but you only want to make 1/3 of the recipe. You would divide 1/5 by 3 to determine the amount of flour needed: 1/15 cup.

Additional Insight: Using Visuals

To visualize the problem, imagine a rectangle representing the whole pizza. Divide this rectangle into 5 equal parts, representing the slices. Each part now represents 1/5 of the pizza.

Now, divide this 1/5 slice into 3 equal parts. Each of these smaller parts represents 1/15th of the whole pizza, illustrating how the answer, 1/15, makes sense.

Conclusion

Dividing fractions might seem daunting, but with a little practice and understanding the concept of reciprocals, you can solve these problems with ease. Remember, the key is to multiply by the reciprocal of the divisor. By applying this knowledge, you can tackle various mathematical challenges and even solve practical problems in your daily life.