Calculate 4/5 ÷ 2

Step by step

The question

Question: work out 4/5 ÷ 2.

1 Flip and multiply

Dividing by a fraction is the same as times its flip.

A whole number is a fraction too: 2 is 2/1.

Keep the first number.

Change divide to times.

Turn the second fraction upside down.

So 2 becomes 1/2, and divide becomes times.

2 Cancel first

Before we multiply, we make the numbers smaller.

4 on top and 2 at the bottom both divide by 2.

A top and a bottom divided by the same number: the answer stays the same.

So we multiply smaller numbers.

3 Multiply tops and bottoms

To multiply fractions, we do top times top, and bottom times bottom.

2 times 1 is 2.

5 times 1 is 5.

Can we make it simpler?

No number goes into both 2 and 5, except 1.

So it stays like this.

So the answer is 2/5.

Let's look back.

First: flip and multiply.

Then: cancel first.

Last: multiply tops and bottoms.