Simplifying Fractions

Front

What is a fraction?

Back

A fraction represents a part of a whole and consists of a numerator (top number) and a denominator (bottom number).

Front

What does it mean to simplify a fraction?

Back

Simplifying a fraction means reducing it to its simplest form, where the numerator and denominator have no common factors other than 1.

Front

How do you simplify the fraction 2/4?

Back

Divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD), which is 2. Thus, 2/4 simplifies to 1/2.

Front

What is the greatest common divisor (GCD)?

Back

The GCD is the largest positive integer that divides two or more integers without leaving a remainder.

Front

How do you find the GCD of two numbers?

Back

You can find the GCD by listing the factors of each number and identifying the largest common factor, or by using the Euclidean algorithm.

Front

What is the simplified form of 8/12?

Back

The simplified form of 8/12 is 2/3, found by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their GCD, which is 4.

Front

What is the simplified form of 4/12?

Back

The simplified form of 4/12 is 1/3, found by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their GCD, which is 4.

Front

When simplifying the fraction 6/9, what number do you divide by?

Back

You divide both the numerator and denominator by their GCD, which is 3.

Front

What is the importance of simplifying fractions in mathematics?

Back

Simplifying fractions makes calculations easier and helps in comparing fractions, adding, or subtracting them.

Front

Can a fraction be simplified if the numerator is 0?

Back

Yes, any fraction with a numerator of 0 is equal to 0, regardless of the denominator (as long as the denominator is not 0).