Divide unit fraction by whole number 1
A \(\frac{1}{3}\)-yard piece of ribbon is cut into \(4\) equal pieces. What fraction of a yard long is each piece?
Hints
- Think about what happens to a piece when it is split into several equal smaller pieces.
- Check whether putting all the equal pieces back together would recreate the original length.
Solution
1. The \(\frac{1}{3}\) yard is shared equally among \(4\) pieces, so the calculation is \(\frac{1}{3}\div4\).
2. Splitting one third into \(4\) equal parts gives \(\frac{1}{12}\).
Answer
Each piece is \(\frac{1}{12}\) yard long.
