Picture This! Reducing Fractions with a multiplication table

and want to reduce it to lowest terms, If you have 8 12 and want to reduce it to lowest terms,

you might know to divide top and bottom by 4, so you get 2 3

But what if you didn’t know how to do that? You can just take your fraction and …

Grab a multiplication table

Find the numerator AND denominator in one of the columns

And look left

reduces to 8 12 2 3

But what if you saw 8 and 12 here? Look left

You see 4 and 6 8 12 4 6 = So far, so good

Now find the 4 and 6 in the same column Look left

reduces to 4 6 2 3

Whatever you do to the bottom, you have to do to the top 2 2

2 2 8 12 4 6 2 3 = =

         

 

 

Try the comparing Pairs page in your packet

Do you think that there is an easy way to do it with out the fraction bars?          

What’s Missing? How could you use the fraction bars to find the missing number?            

Try the What’s Missing page in your packet

Is there another way if you do not have your fraction bars?