Dividing Proper Fractions with the Same Denominator
22 October 2026
Dividing proper fractions with the same denominator can feel tricky at first, but there is a clear method that always works. When both fractions have the same bottom number, you can use a simple trick to find the answer.
Let's look at a step-by-step example to see exactly how this works.
Example question
What is 2/5 ÷ 1/5?
Step 1: Keep the first fraction as it is: 2/5.
Step 2: Change the division sign to multiplication.
Step 3: Flip the second fraction to get its reciprocal: 5/1.
Step 4: Multiply the numerators: 2 × 5 = 10.
Step 5: Multiply the denominators: 5 × 1 = 5.
Step 6: Write the answer as a fraction: 10/5.
Step 7: Simplify 10/5 to 2.
The correct answer is 2.
Click or tap on the number line to answer
Now you can spot that dividing proper fractions with the same denominator means multiplying by the reciprocal of the second fraction. This method helps you see how many times one fraction fits into another.
Key insight: Practising this type of question will make dividing fractions with like denominators much easier and more familiar.
