Son needs help with homework, math?

Question

How the heck do you do simplest forms in fractions? My son has no idea he has to know the simplest form of 6 12ths 3 8ths and 6 9ths show your work and how to do it please. Best anwser gets 10 points.

Answer 1

ok, basically, to simplify fractions, you have to do what's called cancelling, which is where you divide both top and bottom by a common factor (i.e. a number which is a factor of both of them. by the way a factor just means a number that goes into it, e.g. the factor's of 6 are 1, 2, 3 and 6, because these are the numbers that 6 is divisible by). OK so let's take 6/12. you need to stop and think, "what are these both divisible by?" If you're clever, you can spot straight away that they are both divisible by 6, so you divide them both by 6:

6/12,

6 divided by 6 = 1

12 divided by 6 = 2

therefore 6/12 = 1/2

of you're not so clever, then you need to start with smaller numbers:

e.g. they are both divisble by 2, so:

6 divided by 2 = 3

12 divided by 2 = 6

so 6/12 = 3/6

However, this is still not the lowest form, so you need now to spot that they are both divisible by 3:

3 divided by 3 = 1

6 divided by 3 = 2

therefore 3/6 = 1/2

N.B. because the number on top is 1, (1/2, the one on top is 1) then we know that we have found the simplest/lowest form. Please notice also how IN THIS EXAMPLE there are two ways, either to divide by 6 or to divide by 2 and then 3. notice that 2 times 3 is 6, so these ways are basically the same.

ok, 3/8 is already in the simplest form, we know this because:

3 is divisible by 1 and 3. 8 is divisible by 1, but not by 3. If the only one they are both divisible by (i.e. the only common factor) is 1, then it's in it's lowest form.

now 6/9 is not in it's lowest forms. the best way to do these is to look at the factors of the top one and test them with the bottom one. the factors of 6 (the top one) are 1, 2, 3 and 6. let's test them with the bottom one (9) starting with the biggest, which is 6. 9 is not divisible by 6, so we go to the next one which is 3. 9 is divisible by 3, so:

6/9

6 divided by 3 = 2

9 divided by 3 = 3

therefore 6/9 equals 2/3. 3 is not divisible by 2 so we know that this is the simplest/lowest form. Hope that helped, here's a recap of the answers if you didn't get that:

6/12 = 1/2

3/8 = 3/8

6/9 = 2/3

Answer 2

simplest form of fractions just means reduced.  6 12ths = 1/2

3 8ths is already reduced, so its just 3/8

and 6 9ths = 2/3

Answer 3

they likely mean reducing:

6 / 12 = 1/2  (divide numerator and denominator by 6)

6 / 9 = 2/ 3

3/ 8 is in simplist form.

Answer 4

6 12ths in simplist form is 1/2 3/8 is simplist, and 6/9 in simplist form would be 2/3. Putting it in simplist form is just where you write it in the smallest fraction possible, if that makes sense.

Answer 5

All right "dad." Show him how. %})

Answer 6

So basically, you are your son, your dad is in the other room with a newspaper, and you're stuck with your homework!

6/12t cancels down to 1/2

3/8 doesn't cancel down

6/9 cancels down to 2/3

Answer 7

your a bad daddy ....

dont spoil ur son

Answer 8

keep cutting the nominter and the demonitar in half till you cant know more (dont go down in the decimals) also if u have a fancy calcutolar u can hope i helped :)

Answer 9

Try here.

Answer 10

6/12- divide by 2 and get 3/6

3/8- already in simplest form

6/9-divide by 3 and get 2/3

Answer 11

6/12=1/2  3/8=already simplest  6/9=2/3

Answer 12

6/12 reduces to 1/2

3/8 cant reduce

6/9 reduces to 2/3