What is the reciprocal of 1/5?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the reciprocal of the fraction 1/5. The reciprocal of a number is 1 divided by that number. In this case, we will find the reciprocal by inverting the fraction.
Answer
The reciprocal of \( \frac{1}{5} \) is \( 5 \).
Answer for screen readers
The reciprocal of the fraction ( \frac{1}{5} ) is ( 5 ).
Steps to Solve
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Identify the fraction
The given fraction is ( \frac{1}{5} ). -
Understand the reciprocal
The reciprocal of a number ( a ) is given by ( \frac{1}{a} ). -
Calculate the reciprocal
To find the reciprocal of ( \frac{1}{5} ), we invert the fraction: $$ \text{Reciprocal} = \frac{5}{1} $$ -
Simplify the result
The simplified form of ( \frac{5}{1} ) is simply ( 5 ).
The reciprocal of the fraction ( \frac{1}{5} ) is ( 5 ).
More Information
The reciprocal is a concept often used in mathematics, particularly when dealing with fractions and in solving equations. Understanding reciprocals is essential for operations such as division of fractions.
Tips
One common mistake is to forget that the reciprocal of a fraction requires inversion. Instead of inverting it, someone might mistakenly think that the reciprocal of ( \frac{1}{5} ) is still ( \frac{1}{5} ).
