Expert: Lynn Houston - 10/14/2009

Question
i would like to know what a reiprocal is and how it works with decimals

Answer
A reciprocal is a number that you multiply by so that the result equals 1. The easiest way to find it is to just flip the fraction over.

Here's an example: What is the reciprocal of 3?
3 is the same as 3/1, so we flip and the reciprocal is 1/3

Reciprocal of 4/5 is 5/4

Reciprocal of 2 1/2?  
Change to a fraction --> 5/2, then flip --> 2/5

Same for a fraction.  Convert to a fraction and flip.  Reciprocal of .25
.25 = 1/4, reciprocal = 4/1 or 4.