Final answer:
To find what fraction of 3 1/4 is 1 1/12, convert both to improper fractions, divide them, and simplify. The resulting fraction is one-third, meaning 1 1/12 is one-third of 3 1/4.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find what fraction of 3 1/4 is 1 1/12, you must first express each mixed number as an improper fraction. The number 3 1/4 is equivalent to 13/4, and 1 1/12 is equivalent to 13/12. To find the fraction that represents the latter part of the former, you would set up the division of the two improper fractions (13/12) ÷ (13/4).
To divide by a fraction, you multiply by the reciprocal of that fraction. Thus, you would multiply 13/12 by the reciprocal of 13/4, which is 4/13. This is similar to the concept of understanding that one eighth of 1,000 is simply 1,000 times the reciprocal of 1/8, which results in 125 — a “125–like” number.
The calculation would now be (13/12) × (4/13). When carrying out this multiplication, the 13s in the numerator and denominator cancel each other out, leaving us with 4/12, which simplifies to 1/3. Therefore, 1 1/12 is one-third of 3 1/4.