Multiply. Write your answer in simplest form.
$\frac{1}{8} \times \frac{2}{3}$
Answer (2)
To multiply the fractions 8 1 and 3 2 , we multiply the numerators to get 2 and the denominators to get 24, resulting in 24 2 . Simplifying this fraction gives us 12 1 , which is the final answer in simplest form. Thus, 8 1 × 3 2 = 12 1 .
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Multiply the numerators: 1 × 2 = 2 .
Multiply the denominators: 8 × 3 = 24 .
The result is 24 2 .
Simplify the fraction by dividing both numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 2, resulting in 12 1 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are asked to multiply two fractions, 8 1 and 3 2 , and write the answer in simplest form. This means we need to find the product of the fractions and then reduce the resulting fraction to its lowest terms.
Multiplying the Fractions To multiply fractions, we multiply the numerators together and the denominators together. So, we have: 8 1 × 3 2 = 8 × 3 1 × 2 = 24 2
Simplifying the Fraction Now we need to simplify the fraction 24 2 . Both the numerator and the denominator are divisible by 2. Dividing both by 2, we get: 24 ÷ 2 2 ÷ 2 = 12 1
Final Answer The fraction 12 1 is in simplest form because the numerator and denominator have no common factors other than 1. Therefore, the answer is 12 1 .
Examples
Fractions are used in everyday life, such as when baking, measuring ingredients, or splitting a pizza. For example, if you have 2 1 of a pizza and you eat 3 1 of that, you are calculating 2 1 × 3 1 = 6 1 of the whole pizza. Understanding how to multiply fractions is essential for many real-world applications.
