using an area model

Question

use the area model to show 1/2 divide 4
1/2 divide 4 = 1/___
it takes __ pieces to make up the whole.
so the size of each pieces is ___
fill in the blank

Answer 1

To show \( \frac{1}{2} \div 4 \) using an area model, we can visualize the problem as follows:

1. Setting up the area model: Start with a rectangle that represents the whole unit of 1.

2. Dividing the unit: Since we are dividing by 4, we need to divide the rectangle into 4 equal sections. Each section will represent \( \frac{1}{4} \) of the whole.

3. Calculating pieces in \( \frac{1}{2} \): Next, we need to find out how many of these \( \frac{1}{4} \) sections make up \( \frac{1}{2} \). We can mark \( \frac{1}{2} \) within the whole unit.

In this case:

• Fill in the blanks:
  • \( \frac{1}{2} \div 4 = \frac{1}{___} \)
  • It takes ____ pieces to make up the whole.
  • The size of each piece is ____.

1. \( \frac{1}{2} \div 4 = \frac{1}{8} \)
2. It takes 8 pieces to make up the whole.
3. The size of each piece is \( \frac{1}{8} \).

Thus:

• \( \frac{1}{2} \div 4 = \frac{1}{8} \)
• It takes 8 pieces to make up the whole.
• The size of each piece is \( \frac{1}{8} \).