Lesson 17 Introduction

5.NF.B.7a
5.NF.B.7b

Understand Division with Unit Fractions

Think It Through

How is dividing with fractions related to multiplying with fractions?

You know that multiplication and division are related. Dividing 8 by 4, for example, gives
the same result as multiplying 8 by ​ 1 ​  .
··
4
8 4 4 5 2
1
8 3 ​ ··4 ​ 5 2

Dividing with unit fractions works the same way. You can solve a division problem
involving fractions by multiplication.

Think  What does dividing a unit fraction by a whole number mean?

Mrs. Cook wants to share ​ 1 ​ pound of fish equally among 3 cats.
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4
That means she needs to divide ​ 1 ​  into 3 equal parts. You can
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4
draw an area model to represent the problem.
1
4

cat 1

cat 2 ​ 1 ​ 4 3 5 ​  1  ​ 

··
4 ··
12
cat 3

1 pound

If ​ 1 ​ pound of fish is divided into 3 equal parts, each cat will receive Circle the
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4
multiplication
​  1 ​ of the ​ 1 ​ pound of fish.
··
3 ··
4 equation that solves
​ 1 ​ 3 ​ 1 ​ 5 ​  1  ​  the division situation.
··
3 ··
4 ··
12

152 Lesson 17  Understand Division with Unit Fractions ©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted.
Think  What does dividing a whole number by a unit fraction mean?

Mr. Putnam wants to cut a 3- foot rope into ​ 1 ​ - foot sections.

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4
To figure out how many sections he will get, Mr. Putnam thinks,
“How many fourths are in 3?”
Look at the answer to
You can draw a number line to represent the 3 feet of rope.
this division problem. It
There are three 1- foot sections. is greater than 3, the
1 ft
number I started with!

0 1 2 3

You can mark fourths on the number line to represent ​ 1 ​ foot. You can see there are
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4
twelve ​ 1 ​ - foot sections in 3 feet.
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4
3 4 ​ 1 ​ 5 12
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4
1
4

0 1 2 3

You can also write a multiplication equation to show how many fourths are in 3.
There are 4 fourths in each whole foot. To find the number of fourths in 3 feet,
you can multiply.

3 3 4 5 12

When you divide 3 by ​ 1 ​ , you are dividing 3 into parts smaller than 1. So there will be
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4
more than 3 of those parts.

Reflect
1 Explain what it means to divide 5 by ​ 1 ​  .
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4

©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted. Lesson 17  Understand Division with Unit Fractions 153
Lesson 17 Guided Instruction

Think About Using Unit Fractions in Division

Let’s Explore the Idea  Explore dividing a whole

number by a unit fraction with the problem below.

Jemma made 5 cups of pancake batter. She uses a scoop measuring ​ 1 ​ cup to
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3
pour batter onto the skillet to make large pancakes. How many pancakes
can Jemma make?

The 5 rectangles below represent the 5 cups of pancake batter.

1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup

2 You need to find out how many       there are in       .

3 The scoop holds ​ 1 ​  cup of batter. How many scoops are in 1 cup?      
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3
4 Divide each of the 5 rectangles into sections to show your answer to problem 3.

5 How many scoops are in 5 cups?      

6 5 4 ​  1 ​ 5      
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3
7 What multiplication equation will also solve this problem?

8 How is 5 3 3 related to 5 4 ​  1 ​  ?

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3

154 Lesson 17  Understand Division with Unit Fractions ©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted.
Let’s Talk About It 
Solve the problems below as a group.

Suppose Jemma wanted to divide ​ 1 ​ cup of pancake batter to make 4 mini pancakes.
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3
What fraction of a cup of batter will each pancake get?
9 The rectangle to the right shows 1 cup divided       
into 3 equal sections. How much does each
section represent?

          
1
10 Shade ​   ​of the rectangle to show ​   ​ cup.
1
··3 ··3
1
11 You need to divide ​   ​ cup equally to make 4 pancakes.
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3
Divide each third of the rectangle vertically into 4 equal parts.
Then shade ​ 1 ​ of the rectangle to show 1 of the 4 pancakes.
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4
12 The overlapping section shows the fraction of a cup of batter that each pancake

will get. What is this fraction?        

1
13  ​   ​ 4 4 5      
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3
14 What multiplication equation also solves ​   ​ of ​   ​  ?
1 1
··
4 ··3
1 1
15 How is ​   ​ 4 4 related to ​   ​ 3 ​   ​  ?
1
··3 ··
3 ··4

Try It Another Way  Explore dividing by a unit fraction using a

common denominator.
Another way to think about dividing unit fractions is to write equivalent fractions
with a common denominator. What is 5 4 ​ 1 ​ ?
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2
16 Write 5 as a fraction with a denominator of 2.      

10 1
17 Divide ​    ​ into equal groups of ​   ​  . How many groups can you make?      
··2 ··2
1
18 5 4 ​   ​5     
··2

©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted. Lesson 17  Understand Division with Unit Fractions 155
Lesson 17 Guided Practice

Connect Ideas About Dividing with Unit Fractions

Talk through these problems as a class. Then write your answers below.
1 1
19 Compare  Draw a model to represent ​   ​ 4 4 and a model to represent ​   ​ 3 ​   ​  .
1
··
4 ··
4 ··4
Explain the relationship between the two expressions.

1
20 Analyze  Helena said that 12 4 ​   ​  is 4. Draw a model and use words to explain why
··3
Helena’s statement is not reasonable.


1 1
21 Justify  Show that ​   ​ 4 3 5 ​   ​ by using a model. Explain why the result is less than
··2 ··6
the number you started with, ​ 1 ​  .
··
2

156 Lesson 17  Understand Division with Unit Fractions ©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted.
Lesson 17 Independent Practice

Apply Ideas About Dividing with Unit Fractions

22 Put It Together  Use what you have learned to complete this task.
Choose one of the following problems to solve. Circle the problem you choose.

Drew wants to run at least 6 miles this month. He plans to run ​ 1 ​ mile each day.
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4
How many days will it take Drew to run 6 miles?

Maya made ​ 1 ​ quart of strawberry jam. She plans to share it equally among
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2
4 friends. How much jam will each friend get?

Part A  Draw a model to represent the problem.

Part B  Write a division equation and a multiplication equation that represent

the problem.

©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted. Lesson 17  Understand Division with Unit Fractions 157