Question

RECIPROCALS Find the reciprocal. $$ 4 \frac{1}{2} $$

Short answer

The reciprocal of 4 1/2 is \( \frac{2}{9} \).

Step-by-step solution

Convert the Mixed Number to an Improper Fraction

To convert a mixed number to an improper fraction, the formula used is: \( \frac{(whole \ number \times denominator) + numerator}{denominator}\). Here, the whole number is 4, numerator is 1 and denominator is 2. So, we will apply the formula: \( \frac{(4 \times 2) + 1}{2} = \frac{9}{2}\). So the improper fraction is \( \frac{9}{2}\) .

Find the Reciprocal

Reciprocal of a number is obtained by interchanging its denominator and numerator. So, reciprocal of \( \frac{9}{2}\) is \( \frac{2}{9}\).