Final answer:
In dividing fractions, the 'multiply by the reciprocal' rule is used. Keep the first fraction, change the division sign to multiplication, and flip the second fraction to its reciprocal before multiplying. This method simplifies the division process into a multiplication problem.
Step-by-step explanation:
Special Rule for Dividing Fractions
In mathematics, when dividing fractions, there is a special rule known as the 'multiply by the reciprocal' or 'invert and multiply' rule. This rule alters the original division problem into a multiplication problem by following these steps:
- Keep the first fraction as it is.
- Change the division sign to a multiplication sign.
- Flip the second fraction (the divisor) to its reciprocal (invert the numerator and denominator).
After these changes, you multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction. This may sound abstract, so let's look at an example. If we want to divide 1/2 by 3/4, we keep 1/2, change the division sign to multiplication, and flip 3/4 to get its reciprocal, 4/3. Then, we multiply 1/2 by 4/3 to get 4/6, which simplifies down to 2/3.
The resulting product has the same number of significant figures as the number with the fewest significant figures from the original fractions, as dictated by the rules of significant figures.