To find the GCF (Greatest Common Factor) of the numerator and denominator of \( \frac{16}{72} \):
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Find the prime factorization:
- 16: \( 16 = 2^4 \)
- 72: \( 72 = 2^3 \times 3^2 \)
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Identify the common factors:
- The common factor of 16 and 72 is \( 2 \), and the minimum exponent for \( 2 \) between the two factorizations is \( 3 \) (from 72).
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Calculate the GCF:
- Thus, \( \text{GCF} = 2^3 = 8 \).
So, the GCF of the numerator and denominator of \( \frac{16}{72} \) is 8.
Next, after dividing the numerator and denominator by their GCF:
- Divide the numerator and denominator: \[ \frac{16 \div 8}{72 \div 8} = \frac{2}{9} \]
Therefore, the resulting fraction, equivalent to \( \frac{16}{72} \), rewritten in simplest form is \( \frac{2}{9} \).
In summary:
- The GCF of the numerator and denominator of \( \frac{16}{72} \) is 8.
- After dividing \( \frac{16}{72} \) by their GCF, the resulting fraction in simplest form is \( \frac{2}{9} \).