write the following ratio in the simplest form

To write a ratio in its simplest form, you need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numbers in the ratio and then divide both the numerator and the denominator by this GCD.

Let's say we have a ratio X:Y. To find the simplest form of this ratio, follow these steps:

1. Determine the GCD of X and Y. The GCD is the largest number that divides both X and Y without leaving a remainder.
2. Divide both the numerator (X) and the denominator (Y) by their GCD.
3. Write the ratio in its simplest form by presenting the reduced numerator and denominator.

For example, if we have a ratio of 20:60, we can simplify it as follows:

1. Determine the GCD of 20 and 60. The factors of 20 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, and 20. The factors of 60 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60. The highest factor that both numbers share is 20.
2. Divide both the numerator and denominator by 20: 20 ÷ 20 = 1 and 60 ÷ 20 = 3.
3. The simplest form of the ratio 20:60 is 1:3.

Remember to always find the GCD and divide both numerator and denominator by that value to simplify the ratio.