How are multiplication and division related?

Multiplication and division are two fundamental mathematical operations that are exact opposites of each other. For example, multiplying 3 by 4 yields 12, and dividing 12 by 4 yields the original 3.

Because both operations are the opposite of each other, either can be thought of as the inverse of the other. Multiplying by a number is the same thing as dividing by the inverse of that number. For example, 3 multiplied by 4 is also the same thing as 3 divided by one-fourth. The opposite is also true; 12 divided by 4 is equal to 12 multiplied by one-fourth, which both yield 3.