5/15 simplest form
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to simplify the fraction 5/15 to its simplest form. This involves finding the greatest common divisor of the numerator and denominator and dividing both by that number.
Answer
The simplified form of the fraction \( \frac{5}{15} \) is \( \frac{1}{3} \).
Answer for screen readers
The simplified form of the fraction ( \frac{5}{15} ) is ( \frac{1}{3} ).
Steps to Solve
- Find the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)
To simplify the fraction, we need to find the GCD of the numerator (5) and the denominator (15).
The divisors of 5 are: 1, 5
The divisors of 15 are: 1, 3, 5, 15
The greatest common divisor is the largest number that appears in both lists. Here, the GCD is 5.
- Divide the Numerator and Denominator by GCD
Now that we have the GCD, we can simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by the GCD (5).
Numerator: $$ \frac{5}{5} = 1 $$
Denominator: $$ \frac{15}{5} = 3 $$
- Write the Simplified Fraction
After simplifying, we can write the simplified fraction as:
$$ \frac{1}{3} $$
The simplified form of the fraction ( \frac{5}{15} ) is ( \frac{1}{3} ).
More Information
Simplifying fractions helps in making calculations easier and clearer. The simplified fraction ( \frac{1}{3} ) represents the same value as ( \frac{5}{15} ) but in its simplest form. This is often used in various applications, such as cooking, crafting, and finance.
Tips
- Not Finding the GCD: Some may forget to find the GCD and try to simplify by other means. Always ensure to find the GCD for the most accurate simplification.
- Dividing by Incorrect Numbers: It's important to divide the numerator and denominator by the same number; otherwise, the value of the fraction changes.