To determine if a product is a proper fraction in simplest form, you need to consider the numerator and denominator of the product.
If the numerator is less than the denominator, then the fraction is a proper fraction.
If the numerator and denominator do not have any common factors other than 1, then the fraction is in simplest form.
Example 1:
Product = 2/3
Since the numerator (2) is less than the denominator (3), this is a proper fraction.
Example 2:
Product = 6/9
The numerator (6) and denominator (9) have a common factor of 3. By dividing both the numerator and denominator by 3, we can simplify the fraction to 2/3. Therefore, the product is not in simplest form, and reducing it gives the simplest form of the fraction.
Example 3:
Product = 5/2
The numerator (5) is greater than the denominator (2), so this is an improper fraction. To convert it to a mixed number, divide the numerator by the denominator. This will give you a quotient and a remainder. The quotient becomes the whole number, and the remainder becomes the numerator of the fractional part. So, in this example, the mixed number form of the product is 2 1/2.