What Is 1/2 ÷ 1/8?

1/2 ÷ 1/8 = 4, a whole number.

Result

Answer

\frac{1}{2} \div \frac{1}{8} = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{4}

The quotient is 4.

Decimal: \displaystyle 4
Percent: 400%

4 wholes

Step-by-step solution

The problem

\frac{1}{2} \div \frac{1}{8}

Flip \displaystyle \frac{1}{8} and multiply. Dividing by a fraction is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal (the fraction turned upside down).
\frac{1}{8} \;\rightarrow\; \frac{8}{1}
= \textcolor{#0b5c56}{\frac{1}{2}} \times \textcolor{#0b5c56}{8}
Cancel common factors. Divide 8 and 2 by 2.
= \dfrac{1}{\cancel{2}_{\,\textcolor{#0b5c56}{1}}} \times \dfrac{\cancel{8}^{\,\textcolor{#0b5c56}{4}}}{1} = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{\frac{1}{1}} \times \textcolor{#0b5c56}{\frac{4}{1}}
Multiply. Top times top, bottom times bottom.
= \frac{1 \times 4}{1 \times 1} = \textcolor{#0b5c56}{4}

All the working together

\begin{aligned} &\frac{1}{2} \div \frac{1}{8} \\[8pt]  &= \frac{1}{2} \times 8 && \textcolor{#5b6660}{\textsf{flip}} \\[8pt]  &= \dfrac{1}{\cancel{2}_{\,1}} \times \dfrac{\cancel{8}^{\,4}}{1} && \textcolor{#5b6660}{\textsf{cancel}} \\[8pt]  &= \frac{1}{1} \times \frac{4}{1} \\[8pt]  &= \frac{1 \times 4}{1 \times 1} && \textcolor{#5b6660}{\textsf{multiply}} \\[8pt]  &= \textcolor{#0b5c56}{4}\end{aligned}

The answer in other forms

Simplest form	4
Decimal	4
Percent	400%
Same fractions	1/2 + 1/8, 1/2 − 1/8, 1/2 × 1/8

1/2 divided by other fractions

Sum	Answer
1/2 ÷ 1/3	3/2
1/2 ÷ 2/3	3/4
1/2 ÷ 1/4	2
1/2 ÷ 3/4	2/3
1/2 ÷ 1/5	5/2
1/2 ÷ 2/5	5/4
1/2 ÷ 3/5	5/6
1/2 ÷ 4/5	5/8
1/2 ÷ 1/6	3
1/2 ÷ 5/6	3/5
1/2 ÷ 1/8	4
1/2 ÷ 3/8	4/3
1/2 ÷ 5/8	4/5
1/2 ÷ 7/8	4/7