Question

Use the area model to show 1/2 ÷ 4.
1/2 ÷ 4 = 1/_

1/2
-------------
1/8{

it takes _ pieces to make up the whole. So the size of each piece is _.

Answer 1

To use the area model to show the division \( \frac{1}{2} \div 4 \), we start by visualizing \( \frac{1}{2} \) as a rectangle.

1. **Draw a rectangle** that represents \( \frac{1}{2} \). The area of this rectangle is \( \frac{1}{2} \).

2. **Divide this rectangle into 4 equal parts** since we are dividing \( \frac{1}{2} \) by \( 4 \). When we divide it into 4 equal pieces, each piece represents a fraction of the total area.

3. **Calculate the area of each piece**:
\[
\frac{1}{2} \div 4 = \frac{1}{2} \times \frac{1}{4} = \frac{1 \cdot 1}{2 \cdot 4} = \frac{1}{8}
\]

So each piece has an area of \( \frac{1}{8} \).

Now, let's fill in the blanks in your statement:

\[
\frac{1}{2} \div 4 = \frac{1}{8}
\]

It takes **8 pieces** to make up the whole (1). So the size of each piece is **\( \frac{1}{8} \)**.