Question

What is 24/42 in the simplest form?

Answer 1

24/42= 4/7 

 To start divide both sides by 2  So 24/2=12 and then 42/2=21. So it would then be 12/21. Now both are divisible by 3 so you can divide each side by 3. So 12/3=4 and 21/3=7 so it would be 4/7. You can't-do anything further so that is the lowest term.

Answer 2

What is the largest common factor of both 24 and 42?

24 is divisible (without remainder) by 4, 6, 8 and 24.  42 is divisible by 2, 21, 3, 14,  6, 7.  Your job is to identify the common factor found in each 24 and 42.

6 divides without remainder into both 24 and 42.  

Thus, you have     24        6*4
                             ----  =  -----------
                              42         6*7

Cancel the sixes.  This leaves you with 4/7, which cannot be reduced further.