division by fraction

I have just seen this! :D

I guess I couldn't have done this but I am going to try to explain next time :D

6/(1/3)

= 6 x 3

= 18

Hi Max,

Maybe you would like to explain to our guest WHY this is so.

People learn to divide by fractons by rote - a huge number of them have no idea what they are really doing.  :)

Here's a simple example. Suppose we have six pizzas and we divide each into thirds. How many slices do we have??

6 ÷ 1/3  =

6 * 3  =

18

This makes sense. Each pizza contains three slices, so 6 * 3 = 18

Remember........any positive integer divided by a fraction that is greater than 0 but less than 1 always results in an answer that is larger than that positive integer.

6 divided by 1/3

Thanks Chris,    (I had wanted Max to answer but never mind )

Here is the answer I had in mind.

6 divided by 2 =3

this is because there are  3 groups of 2 in 6       2+2+2=6

1 divided by 1/3    is   3   because there are  3 thirds in 1 whole      1/3   +   1/3    +   1/3   = 1

so

2 divided by 1/3    is   6   because there are  3 thirds in 1 whole      1/3   +   1/3    +   1/3 + 1/3   +   1/3    +   1/3 = 2

so

2 divided by 1/3    is the same answer as   2 * 3/1 = 6

so

6 divided by  1/3    has the same answer as   6   * 3/1  =  6*3 = 18