Simplifying fractions while learning the twelves table!
When you’re struggling to simplify fractions, guess what: It’s because you don’t have your times tables down!
One of the many benefits of memorizing your multiplication facts is that you can recognize multiples more easily — and that makes simplifying fractions a snap.
This worksheet does double duty, helping you practice your twelves backward: You’ll get more familiar with these multiples while also seeing the relationships between them. That allows you to easily simplify the fraction (or ratio — same thing).
For example, if I see this:
I know (because it says on the worksheet) that this ratio is made of multiples of 12. I just have to figure out which ones they are!
12 x 5 = 60 and 12 x 12 = 144.
Therefore, we can just stick those expressions in there :
And this also follows:
Did you notice that twelve over 12 is just…one?
And when we multiply a number times 1, we get the number we started with.
If we trace back through all of those equals signs:
We have our answer:
It’s true! I will swear it to my dying day. Best of all, it will never change. This fact will be true forever.
Here’s the thing: you won’t have to do all of these steps every time. In fact, if you practice this skill, you will get to the point where you can instantly simplify a fraction like this as easily as adding 1 + 1.
