Reciprocal Calculator

Enter any number and calculate its reciprocal.

Calculate the Reciprocal

Result

What is a Reciprocal?

A reciprocal is the "flip" of a number, meaning the number becomes the denominator, and 1 becomes the numerator. For a number \( a \), its reciprocal is: \( \text{Reciprocal of } a = \frac{1}{a} \) The key property of a reciprocal is that when a number is multiplied by its reciprocal, the result is always 1: \( a \times \frac{1}{a} = 1 \) Note: Zero does not have a reciprocal since division by zero is undefined.

How to Calculate the Reciprocal

Steps for Different Types of Numbers:

Examples

Example 1: What is the reciprocal of 40?

Solution:

\( \text{Reciprocal} = \frac{1}{40} = 0.025 \)

Result: The reciprocal of 40 is 0.025.

Example 2: What is the reciprocal of 0.25?

Solution:

Convert the decimal to a fraction:

\( 0.25 = \frac{1}{4} \)

Find the reciprocal:

\( \text{Reciprocal} = \frac{4}{1} = 4 \)

Result: The reciprocal of 0.25 is 4.

Example 3: What is the reciprocal of \( \frac{5}{7} \)?

Solution:

\( \text{Reciprocal} = \frac{7}{5} \)

Result: The reciprocal of \( \frac{5}{7} \) is \( \frac{7}{5} \).

Example 4: What is the reciprocal of 4 3/5?

Solution:

Convert the mixed number to an improper fraction:

\( 4 \frac{3}{5} = \frac{23}{5} \)

Find the reciprocal:

\( \text{Reciprocal} = \frac{5}{23} \)

Result: The reciprocal of 4 3/5 is \( \frac{5}{23} \).