Question

How do you evaluate `\frac { 18} { 8} \times \frac { 3} { 9}`?

Answer 1

`3/4`

Explanation:

First, try to see whether any of the fractions could be simplified.
We see that 18 an 8 share a common factor of 2. Therefore,
we can simplify `18/8` to `9/4`

Now, we could cross-simplify.

Since 18 and 9 share 9 as a common factor, divide both numbers by 9.
Now, the multiplication becomes `1/4xx3/1`
Multiply the denominators and the numerators to get `3/4`

(In this case, there was no need to simplify 3/9,but you could have done it and then multiply)

Answer 2

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

First, rewrite the expression and cancel common terms in the numerator and denominator:

`18/8 xx 3/9 => (9 xx 2)/8 xx 3/9 => (color(red)(cancel(color(black)(9))) xx color(blue)(cancel(color(black)(2))))/(color(blue)(cancel(color(black)(8)))4) xx 3/color(red)(cancel(color(black)(9))) => 1/4 xx 3/1`

We can now evaluate this as:

`1/4 xx 3/1 => (1 xx 3)/(4 xx 1) => 3/4`