To divide terms with radicals, divide the coefficients and radicands separately:

\( \frac{21\sqrt{18}}{7\sqrt{9}} \)
\( \frac{21}{7} \) \( \sqrt{\frac{18}{9}} \)
3 \( \sqrt{2} \)

To divide fractions, invert the second fraction and then multiply:

\( \frac{1}{6} \) ÷ \( \frac{4}{8} \) = \( \frac{1}{6} \) x \( \frac{8}{4} \)

To multiply fractions, multiply the numerators together and then multiply the denominators together:

\( \frac{1}{6} \) x \( \frac{8}{4} \) = \( \frac{1 x 8}{6 x 4} \) = \( \frac{8}{24} \) = \(\frac{1}{3}\)

A rational number (or fraction) is represented as a ratio between two integers, a and b, and has the form \({a \over b}\) where a is the numerator and b is the denominator. An improper fraction (\({5 \over 3} \)) has a numerator with a greater absolute value than the denominator and can be converted into a mixed number (\(1 {2 \over 3} \)) which has a whole number part and a fractional part.

The absolute value is the positive magnitude of a particular number or variable and is indicated by two vertical lines: \(\left|-5\right| = 5\). In the case of a variable absolute value (\(\left|a\right| = 5\)) the value of a can be either positive or negative (a = -5 or a = 5).

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