Why do we multiply by the reciprocal of the divisor when dividing fractions?

I'll introduce this with an intuitive approach. If you multiply something by 1/3, that is equivalent to dividing it by three, is it not? One-third of a pie is what you get when you divide the whole pie by three. Therefore dividing by 3 is the same thing as multiplying by 1/3.

Now for a more mathematical approach. First, some vocabulary: The dividend is the number you're dividing by the divisor. The quotient is the result of that division.

quotient = dividend divisor

Second, a definition: A reciprocal is what you multiply a number by to get 1. In other words, a number times its reciprocal equals 1. Flipping a fraction produces a reciprocal. Here is an example of why that works, involving the fraction 5/6, and its reciprocal 6/5:

(56) (56) 5 6 ( )( ) = = =1 6 5 (65) (56)

Now on to division What you are actually doing is multiplying both the dividend and the divisor by the reciprocal of the divisor. For example, 3 5 = ( 3 8 ) ( 5 8 ) = ( 24 ) ( 40 ) = 6 1 = 6
4 8 4 5 8 5 20 40 5 5

If you think of division in terms of fractions, as we generally do in Algebra, this says you are multiplying both the numerator and denominator by the same number, namely the reciprocal of the denominator.
3 3 8 ( ) ( ) ( ) 4 4 5 = [ ][ ] 5 5 8 ( ) ( ) ( ) 8 8 5

We can do this because it is always all right to multiply the numerator and denominator by the same nonzero number. (Eight-fifths over eight-fifths is just another name for 1, the identity.)

Editorial comments about teaching math: Unfortunately, this is often oversimplified to "KFC" -"Keep the first fraction, flip the second, and change the sign from division to multiplication," the mindless rule that elementary students learn.

I might add that by the time they get to high school, most students close their minds to learning the underlying concepts because the cookbook method requires less engagement and sustained attention. It's kind of like eating lots of white bread and then being switched to whole wheat without warning. Therefore, elementary school teachers, we're counting on you!
Note: I was motivated to write this explanation after watching the video, Early Knowledge of Fractions and Long Division Predicts Long-Term Math Success, by Carnegie-Mellon's Robert Siegler at http://youtu.be/7YSj0mmjwBM. In it, Siegler mentions that unlike their Asian counterparts U.S.math teachers often cannot explain the conceptual underpinnings of operations with fractions. That sounded like a dare to me!