Dividing fractions is usually the last operation we teach students with basic fractions. The reason is that it involves the most steps. It requires a minimum of three steps, but can you can add a step if you wish to check your answer to the problem. The first step is to find the reciprocal of the second fraction. This means that we switch the numerator and denominator. The second step is multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal we just created. The last step is to simply the product you just created. To check your answer, multiply your answer by the divisor. If you were correct, it should be equal to the original dividend.
We introduce you to a three-step process to solve these types of problems. We first take the reciprocal of the second fraction in the series. We then multiply the first and second fraction (which is now flipped on its side). The last step is to simplify the quotient that has been formed. I find that students often have difficulty with this skill in a digital environment, unless they have previous experience with this skill. We highly recommend working on this skill in a pencil and paper format. To make it easier, the steps are rewrite the fraction, change the division sign to a multiplication symbol, and then flip the fraction. These worksheets explain how to convert division to multiplication to solve fraction division problems. Answers may by proper fractions, improper fractions, or mixed numbers.