Reciprocal

When a number is divided by 1 than the resultant number is said to be the reciprocal of the original number.

For example: Let’s take a number say 5. To find the reciprocal of 5 simply divide 5 by 1.

Original number is 5, its reciprocal will be 1/5. This doesn’t mean that if you divide 5 by 1 and you will get 0.2 this will be the decimal and not the reciprocal.

Finding reciprocal is like flipping the number upside down. Like if we have to find the reciprocal of a fraction simply flip the number.

For example: Let’s take a fraction 3/7. To find its reciprocal simply flip the number and its reciprocal becomes 7/3.

Reciprocal in Algebra

Just like finding reciprocal of a number, in algebra also we flip the variable or divide it by 1 to find the reciprocal of a variable. Like reciprocal of x will be x/1.

For example: Let’s take a variable xy/z. To find its reciprocal flip the variable and u will get z/xy.

If we reciprocate the reciprocal of an original variable or number we will get back the original value. Like the reciprocal of a/b will be b/a and we see its reciprocal we will get the original value that is a/b.