Multiplication and Division of Fractions:

We have seen that adding and subtracting fractions can be a little complicated in terms of our having to find the common multiple of the fractions ro be added or divided and then expressing our fractions n terms of the same denominators.

The good news is multiplying and dividing fractions is much simpler.

To multiply two fractions, we multiply the two numerators together and that will be the numerator of our resulting fraction and we multiply the two denominators and the product will be the denominator of our new fraction.

Let us look at the following example:

We have said that we have to multiply the two numerators first:

And 2 will therefore be the numerator of our resulting fraction.

Next, we multiply 3 x 5 = 15

And 15 will therefore be the denominator of our result:

Sounds simple? It is. Dividing fractions is equally simple, however there is an extra step involved. When dividing fractions, you have to reverse the numerator and denominator of the fraction you are supposed to divide by and then instead of dividing, you multiply the two fractions.

Let us show you how it works:

In the following example:

We will first reverse the fraction we are supposed to divide by, so that ½ becomes 2/1. We now multiply, instead of dividing:

Try the following as exercise: Remember, your result should always be simplified!

Examples:

Answers: