Dividing fractions by a whole number with a tape diagram
Math
Basic demonstration of how students can use what's called a tape diagram
This is a basic demonstration of how students can use what's called a tape diagram in order to help them to understand and visualize division of fractions by whole number. So a tape diagram is really just a rectangle. Split into different portions. So for example, if I was going to do a division problem like one half divided by four, I would take the tape diagram and split it in half. And then what I would show is this section obviously is one half of the tape diagram. And the operation is splitting each half into four parts. We also split the other half in the four parts.
By doing this, the students can actually see that each of those parts is actually an 8th. Of the entire diagram. One, two, three, four, 5, 6, 7, 8. And then what you do is you show them the actual algorithm for solving the problem. One half divided by four is the same as one half divided by four over one. They know when you're working division problem multiplication, they have to invert the second number and change the operation. One half. Times one fourth. Equals one 8th. This way they can see what happens in the actual numeric operation, and then they can visually see why splitting that half into four parts equals one 8th.