If I simplify the following fraction to its lowest (simplest) possible terms
51/78 Would the correct answer be 3/4
which I divided by 17
First divide both sides by three and see what we get:
17/26
One of those terms is already a prime number, so that is as far as you can go.
51/68 would be 3/4, but 51/78 is not.
Nope. 78 isn't evenly divisible by 17.
Both 51 and 78 are divisible by 3.
51/78 = 17/26
To simplify the fraction 51/78 to its lowest possible terms, you can follow these steps:
1. Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator (51) and the denominator (78).
- The factors of 51 are 1, 3, 17, and 51.
- The factors of 78 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 13, 26, 39, and 78.
- The common factors of 51 and 78 are 1 and 3.
- Therefore, the GCD of 51 and 78 is 3.
2. Divide both the numerator and the denominator of the fraction by the GCD (3).
- 51 ÷ 3 = 17
- 78 ÷ 3 = 26
The simplified fraction is 17/26.
So, if you divide 17/26 by 17, the answer would be 1/26.
Therefore, the correct answer for the given fraction, when simplified and then divided by 17, is 1/26, not 3/4.