How do you simplify the fraction #3/24#?

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Answer 1 · 2016-12-05T10:12:57

#1/8#

Observe that 3 will divide exactly into 24 in that #3xx8=24#

You have two approaches available. The first of these is the more common. The second is the same as the first but it looks different.

#color(blue)("Method 1")#

Divide top and bottom by 3 giving:

#3/24 -=(3-:3)/(24-:3) = 1/8#

The #-=# means equivalent to
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#color(blue)("Method 2")#

Multiply by 1 and you do not change the value. But 1 comes in many forms so you can change the way the fraction looks without changing its value.

#color(green)( 3/24color(red)(xx1)" "->" "3/24color(red)(xx(" "1/3" ")/(1/3))" " =" "1/8#

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Note that
#3xx1/3# is the same as #3-:3#
#24xx1/3# is the same as #24-:3#