Question

What is 24/42 in the simplest form?

Answer 1

What is the largest common factor of both 24 and 42?

24 is divisible (without remainder) by 4, 6, 8 and 24. 42 is divisible by 2, 21, 3, 14, 6, 7. Your job is to identify the common factor found in each 24 and 42.

6 divides without remainder into both 24 and 42.

Thus, you have 24 6*4
---- = -----------
42 6*7

Cancel the sixes. This leaves you with 4/7, which cannot be reduced further.

Answer 2

24/42= 4/7

To start divide both sides by 2 So 24/2=12 and then 42/2=21. So it would then be 12/21. Now both are divisible by 3 so you can divide each side by 3. So 12/3=4 and 21/3=7 so it would be 4/7. You can't-do anything further so that is the lowest term.