Question

you are reducing the fraction 80/144 and you mistakenly think the factor you reduce by is four. How can you still get a correctly reduced fraction?

Answer 1

if you get the greatest common factor of the two numbers you can find the prime factors:

80 = 2*2*2*2*5
144 = 2*2*2*2*3*3
now pair up the factors
gcf = 2*2*2*2 = 16

whats left?? 5 and 3*3 : 5 and 9

redused fraction = 5/9