Inverse Property of Multiplication

Inverse property of multiplication:

a×1a=1a×a=1\color{purple}{a\times\frac{1}{a}=\frac{1}{a}\times a=1}

1a\frac{1}{a} is called the multiplicative inverse of aa.

Inverse property is true for any real number aa.

Notice, that we wrote, that a×1a=1a×a{a}\times\frac{{1}}{{a}}=\frac{{1}}{{a}}\times{a}. This is true, according to the commutative property of multiplication.

Actually, we already discussed the multiplicative inverse.

Yes, yes. Multiplicative inverse is just another name for reciprocal!

Example 1. Multiplicative inverse of 53\frac{{5}}{{3}} is 35\frac{{3}}{{5}}, because 53×35=1\frac{{5}}{{3}}\times\frac{{3}}{{5}}={1}.

Example 2. Multiplicative inverse of 2-\sqrt{{{2}}} is 12-\frac{{1}}{\sqrt{{{2}}}}, because (2)(12)=1{\left(-\sqrt{{{2}}}\right)}\cdot{\left(-\frac{{1}}{\sqrt{{{2}}}}\right)}={1}.

Example 3. 2.5712.57=12.572.57=1{2.57}\cdot\frac{{1}}{{2.57}}=\frac{{1}}{{2.57}}\cdot{2.57}={1} (recall, that both ×\times and \cdot denote multiplication).

Conclusion. Multiplicative inverse (reciprocal) of the number aa is a number, that is turned upside down, i.e. 1a\frac{{1}}{{a}}.