Solve: Find the Unknown Factor in (3/5 × ? = 2/4)

Fraction Division with Missing Factors

35×?=24 \frac{3}{5}\times?=\frac{2}{4}

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations
00:00 Find the unknown
00:03 Isolate the unknown
00:06 Write division as multiplication by the reciprocal, and calculate the products
00:09 Reduce the fraction as much as possible
00:12 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution
1

Understand the problem

35×?=24 \frac{3}{5}\times?=\frac{2}{4}

2

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we need to find the missing fraction x x such that 35×x=24 \frac{3}{5} \times x = \frac{2}{4} . We'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Simplify the fraction 24 \frac{2}{4} to 12 \frac{1}{2} .
  • Step 2: Set up the equation to solve for x x . This gives us 35×x=12 \frac{3}{5} \times x = \frac{1}{2} .
  • Step 3: Isolate x x by dividing both sides by 35 \frac{3}{5} , leading to x=1235 x = \frac{\frac{1}{2}}{\frac{3}{5}} .
  • Step 4: Simplify the complex fraction by multiplying by the reciprocal: x=12×53 x = \frac{1}{2} \times \frac{5}{3} .
  • Step 5: Calculate the multiplication: x=1×52×3=56 x = \frac{1 \times 5}{2 \times 3} = \frac{5}{6} .

Therefore, the solution to the problem is 56 \frac{5}{6} .

3

Final Answer

56 \frac{5}{6}

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Isolation Rule: Divide both sides by the known fraction to isolate unknown
  • Technique: Multiply by reciprocal: 12×53=56 \frac{1}{2} \times \frac{5}{3} = \frac{5}{6}
  • Check: Verify by substitution: 35×56=1530=12 \frac{3}{5} \times \frac{5}{6} = \frac{15}{30} = \frac{1}{2}

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Adding or subtracting instead of dividing to isolate the unknown
    Don't try to add or subtract 35 \frac{3}{5} from both sides = completely wrong operation! Multiplication problems require division to isolate variables, not addition or subtraction. Always divide both sides by the known factor using reciprocal multiplication.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

\( \frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{4}= \)

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I need to simplify 24 \frac{2}{4} first?

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Simplifying fractions makes calculations easier and reduces errors. 24=12 \frac{2}{4} = \frac{1}{2} is much simpler to work with than the original fraction.

How do I divide by a fraction like 35 \frac{3}{5} ?

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To divide by a fraction, multiply by its reciprocal! The reciprocal of 35 \frac{3}{5} is 53 \frac{5}{3} , so dividing by 35 \frac{3}{5} means multiplying by 53 \frac{5}{3} .

What if my answer doesn't look like any of the choices?

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Always double-check your work and make sure you've simplified completely. Also verify by substituting back into the original equation - this catches most calculation errors!

Can I solve this by cross-multiplying?

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Not directly! Cross-multiplication works when you have ab=cd \frac{a}{b} = \frac{c}{d} . Here you need to rearrange first to get ?=1235 ? = \frac{\frac{1}{2}}{\frac{3}{5}} , then multiply by the reciprocal.

How do I know if 56 \frac{5}{6} is fully simplified?

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Check if the numerator and denominator share any common factors. Since 5 and 6 have no common factors except 1, 56 \frac{5}{6} is already in lowest terms!

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