Question

What should be done first to simplify: {16}/{4} × {4}/{12} × 5

a) Multiply {16}/{4} and {4}/{12}
b) Divide {16}/{4} by {4}/{12}
c) Multiply {4}/{12} and 5
d) Divide {16}/{4} by 5

Answer 1

The first step to simplify the expression {16}/{4} × {4}/{12} × 5 is to multiply the two fractions, {16}/{4} and {4}/{12}, together, simplifying by cancelling out common factors in the process.

Step-by-step explanation:

What should be done first to simplify the expression {16}/{4} × {4}/{12} × 5? The answer is to multiply the two fractions together. According to the rules for multiplying fractions, you multiply the numerators (top numbers) together and the denominators (bottom numbers) together. Here, that means you would first find the product of {16}/{4} and {4}/{12}.

This step can be simplified by cancelling out common factors before multiplying. For example, the number 4 is a common factor in the first fraction's numerator and denominator ({16}/{4}), and it can cancel out to give 4. Similarly, the number 4 is a common factor in the second fraction's numerator and denominator ({4}/{12}), which can also be reduced, leading to {1}/{3}. After this simplification, you are left with 4 × {1}/{3} × 5 to multiply in the next steps.

So the correct first step to start simplifying the expression is option a): Multiply {16}/{4} and {4}/{12}.