Sharing out a fraction

Share out a fraction equally, like Leena's milk among her cups of tea.

First ask: is the amount being shared out (divide) or repeated (multiply)?

Leena made 5 cups of tea using 1/4 litre of milk in all. Milk per cup? It's shared, so divide: 1/4 ÷ 5.

As a multiplication: 5 × (milk per cup) = 1/4.

Use the rule. 5 is 5/1, so its reciprocal is 1/5. Then 1/4 × 1/5 = 1/20 litre per cup. Check: 5 × 1/20 = 5/20 = 1/4 ✓.

Another: Manju and two neighbours buy 5 litres of oil a week and share it equally among 3 families. Each gets 5 ÷ 3 = 5/3 litres a week (shared), and in 4 weeks 4 × 5/3 = 20/3 litres (repeated).

Sharing a fractional quantity among a whole number of parts is a division — multiply by the reciprocal of that whole number.

Sharing out a fraction.

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