I already wrote about dividing fractions here and here.
I usually explain why
5/6 ÷ 2/3
is the same as
5/6 × 3/2
by talking about "dividing by one."
But when someone recently asked how the common denominator strategy works, my muted response was:
"Because it does."
I didn’t mean to be a jerk — I just really hoped she’d go along with me.
I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote:
5 ÷ 3 = 5/3
She already looked bored. Then I added 1s under the numbers:
5/1 ÷ 3/1 = 5/3
Still good, right?
Then I changed it to:
10/2 ÷ 6/2 = 10/6 = 5/3
Still okay?
Before I could say anything else, she grabbed the paper and rubbed it on my head.
Rude.
The real common denominator is:
We’re all in this together to #flattenthecurve.
This tweet is like rainbow.
