How can the fraction 12/30 be reduced?

To reduce the fraction 12/30, it's essential to simplify it by identifying the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator (12) and the denominator (30). The common prime factors of these two numbers can be found by determining their prime factorizations.

• The prime factorization of 12 is 2 x 2 x 3 (or (2^2 \times 3)).

• The prime factorization of 30 is 2 x 3 x 5 (or (2 \times 3 \times 5)).

The common prime factors between 12 and 30 are 2 and 3. To simplify the fraction, you would divide both the numerator and the denominator by the product of their common prime factors (in this case, 6, which is (2 \times 3)).

Therefore, when you divide 12 by 6, you get 2, and when you divide 30 by 6, you get 5. Hence, reducing 12/30 leads to the simplified form of 2/5.

This approach emphasizes that dividing both numbers by their common prime factors ensures that the fraction is reduced to its simplest form effectively. While the other