How do you do the divide out common factors?

Answer 1

Suppose you have a fraction in the form a/b and suppose c is a common factor of a and b.

c is a factor of a so that a = c*x

c is a factor of b so that b = c*y

where x and y are integers.

And so a/b = cx/cy = x/y.

The process is as follows:

1. find a common factor, c, of the numerator (a) and the denominator (b).
2. the new numerator is the old numerator divided by the common factor that is, x = a/c;
3. the new denominator is the old denominator divided by the common factor that is, y = b/c;
4. the new fraction is x/y.