Simplifying Fractions: 42/49 in Simplest Form
Fractions can be a bit tricky to work with, but simplifying them can make calculations much easier. In this article, we'll show you how to simplify the fraction 42/49 in its simplest form.
What is the Simplest Form of a Fraction?
The simplest form of a fraction is when the numerator (the top number) and the denominator (the bottom number) have no common factors other than 1. In other words, the simplest form is when the fraction is in its most reduced form.
Simplifying 42/49
To simplify the fraction 42/49, we need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 42 and 49.
Calculating the GCD of 42 and 49
To calculate the GCD of 42 and 49, we can use the following steps:
- List the factors of 42: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21, 42
- List the factors of 49: 1, 7, 49
- Identify the common factors: 1, 7
- The GCD is the highest common factor, which is 7.
Simplifying the Fraction
Now that we have the GCD, we can simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by 7:
42 ÷ 7 = 6 49 ÷ 7 = 7
So, the simplest form of the fraction 42/49 is:
6/7
And that's it! The fraction 42/49 in its simplest form is 6/7.
