91.3k views
3 votes
can you assume that any fraction is in simplest form if either the numerator or denominator is a prime number?

2 Answers

5 votes

Answer:

some occasions yes and other no for example if a fraction was 3/9 the numerator is prime but the fraction can still be simplified to 1/3 but a number were 3/5 then you wouldn't be able to simplify it


User RyBolt
by
5.6k points
1 vote

In most cases, if both the numerator and the denominator of a fraction are prime for example in the fraction 2/5 the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator will be 1 which means that the fraction is in lowest terms.

However, if the numerator and the denominator are the same prime number for example 7/7 the fraction is not in lowest terms because the greatest common factor is the prime number in this case 7.

7/7 can be written in lowest terms as 1/1 therefore if the numerator and denominator of a fraction are both prime, the fraction is not always in lowest terms so the given statement is false.

User SamuelN
by
5.5k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.