Write each fraction in lowest terms. 4/12

Key Concepts

Lowest Terms

A fraction is in lowest terms when the numerator and denominator have no common factors other than 1. This means that the fraction cannot be simplified any further. To express a fraction in lowest terms, you divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD). For example, in the fraction 4/12, both 4 and 12 can be divided by 4, resulting in 1/3.

Numerator and Denominator

In a fraction, the numerator is the top part that represents how many parts we have, while the denominator is the bottom part that indicates the total number of equal parts the whole is divided into. Understanding the roles of the numerator and denominator is essential for simplifying fractions and performing operations with them. For instance, in the fraction 4/12, 4 is the numerator and 12 is the denominator.

Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)

The greatest common divisor (GCD) of two or more integers is the largest positive integer that divides each of the integers without leaving a remainder. Finding the GCD is crucial for simplifying fractions to their lowest terms. For example, the GCD of 4 and 12 is 4, which is used to simplify the fraction 4/12 to 1/3 by dividing both the numerator and denominator by 4.