Question

Reduce each of the following fractions to the lowest terms : $\frac{143}{234}$

Answer 1

To reduce any fraction to its lowest term first of all we need to find the HCF of both the numbers

$11$	$143$	$2$	$234$
$13$	$13$	$3$	$117$
	$1$	$3$	$39$
		$13$	$13$
			$1$
Prime factors of $143$ are $11\times 13$		Prime factors of $234$ are $2\times 3\times 3\times 13$

So the common factors of $143and234$ are $1\times 13=13$, hence HCF is $13$

now to find the reduced fraction of $\frac{143}{234}$, we divide both the numerator and denominator by the HCF

hence the reduced fraction is $\frac{143}{234}=\frac{143÷13}{234÷13}=\frac{11}{18}$