40/18 simplified
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to simplify the fraction 40/18 to its lowest terms.
Answer
The simplified fraction of \( \frac{40}{18} \) is \( \frac{20}{9} \).
Answer for screen readers
The simplified fraction of ( \frac{40}{18} ) is ( \frac{20}{9} ).
Steps to Solve
- Find the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)
To simplify the fraction, we first need to find the GCD of the numerator (40) and the denominator (18).
The factors of 40 are: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20, 40
The factors of 18 are: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18
The greatest common factor they share is 2.
- Divide both the numerator and denominator by the GCD
Now that we have the GCD (2), we divide both parts of the fraction by this number:
$$ \frac{40 \div 2}{18 \div 2} = \frac{20}{9} $$
- Write the final simplified fraction
The simplified fraction will be the result of the previous step.
Thus, the lowest terms of the fraction ( \frac{40}{18} ) is ( \frac{20}{9} ).
The simplified fraction of ( \frac{40}{18} ) is ( \frac{20}{9} ).
More Information
When simplifying fractions, finding the GCD is an essential step. This process ensures that the fraction is represented in the simplest form. The fraction ( \frac{20}{9} ) cannot be simplified further since 20 and 9 have no common factors other than 1.
Tips
- Forgetting to find the GCD correctly can lead to incorrect simplification.
- Not dividing both the numerator and the denominator by the same GCD can result in an incorrect fraction.
- Confusing simplification with conversion to a mixed number; simplification keeps the fraction's form.
