🔄 Inverse Fractions 📚 Grade 5 ⏱ 5 min
Mutually Inverse Fractions: Simple Explanation
2/3 and 3/2 are mutually inverse fractions — the numerator and denominator swap places. Here is this simple idea.
Flip the fraction
To get the inverse fraction, swap the numerator and denominator. 2/3 becomes 3/2, 5/8 becomes 8/5.
💡 Special case: the inverse of the whole number 4 is 1/4, because 4 can be written as 4/1.
Inverse fractions always multiply to 1
2/3 × 3/2 = 6/6 = 1. This key property of mutually inverse fractions becomes useful when dividing fractions.
FAQ
Why do inverse fractions matter?
They are used in fraction division — dividing by a fraction gets replaced with multiplying by its inverse.