15/20 in simplest form
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to simplify the fraction 15/20 to its lowest terms. To do this, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator and the denominator and divide both by this number.
Answer
The simplified fraction is $\frac{3}{4}$.
Answer for screen readers
The simplified fraction of $\frac{15}{20}$ is $\frac{3}{4}$.
Steps to Solve
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Find the GCD of 15 and 20
To simplify the fraction, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator (15) and the denominator (20).
- The factors of 15 are: 1, 3, 5, 15
- The factors of 20 are: 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20
- The common factors are 1 and 5. Thus, the GCD is 5.
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Divide the numerator and denominator by the GCD
Now that we have the GCD, we will divide both the numerator and denominator by 5.
- For the numerator:
$$ \frac{15}{5} = 3 $$ - For the denominator:
$$ \frac{20}{5} = 4 $$
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Write the simplified fraction
The simplified fraction is now formed by the new numerator and denominator.
Thus, we write:
$$ \frac{15}{20} = \frac{3}{4} $$
The simplified fraction of $\frac{15}{20}$ is $\frac{3}{4}$.
More Information
When simplifying fractions, finding the GCD is crucial as it allows you to reduce the fraction to its simplest form. This method is useful in various real-life applications like cooking, budgeting, and more.
Tips
- Forgetting to find the GCD and dividing by a number that is not the greatest common factor. Always ensure you calculate the GCD before simplifying.
- Not reducing the fraction at all, which can result in incorrect or overly complex results.