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Fraction Division

To divide one fraction by another, multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal (the "flip") of the second fraction. For any numbers aa, bb, cc, and dd with b0b \neq 0, c0c \neq 0, and d0d \neq 0:

ab÷cd=abdc\frac{a}{b} \div \frac{c}{d} = \frac{a}{b} \cdot \frac{d}{c}

The reciprocal of cd\frac{c}{d} is dc\frac{d}{c}, obtained by swapping the numerator and denominator. Once the division has been rewritten as a multiplication, the standard multiplication rule applies: multiply the numerators and multiply the denominators, then simplify. Like multiplication, fraction division does not require a common denominator.

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Updated 2026-05-02

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