Simplify the fraction 12/32.
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to simplify the fraction 12/32, which means to find an equivalent fraction with the smallest possible numerator and denominator.
Answer
$\frac{3}{8}$
Answer for screen readers
$\frac{3}{8}$
Steps to Solve
- Find the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)
Find the GCD of the numerator (12) and the denominator (32). The factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12. The factors of 32 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32. The greatest common factor is 4.
- Divide both numerator and denominator by the GCD
Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD, which is 4. $12 \div 4 = 3$ $32 \div 4 = 8$
- Write the simplified fraction
The simplified fraction is $\frac{3}{8}$.
$\frac{3}{8}$
More Information
The fraction $\frac{3}{8}$ is in its simplest form because 3 and 8 have no common factors other than 1.
Tips
A common mistake is not finding the greatest common divisor. For example, you might divide both 12 and 32 by 2 to get $\frac{6}{16}$. While this is a common divisor, it doesn't fully simplify the fraction, and you'd need to simplify further. Always ensure you're dividing by the GCD to get the simplest form in one step.
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