Question

Nicholas wrote the steps below to

simplify the fraction _
20
30. Melanie divided the numerator and
denominator of _
20
30 by 2 to write the fraction in the simplest form.
Explain and correct the error that each student made.

Answer 1

He does not divide the numerator and the denominator by the same number. Nicholas divides 20 by 5 and 30 by 6. He ought to have divided 30 by 5 as well and then simplified.

P.S. Nicholas should have just divided both 20 and 30 by 10 to simplify in one step