Simplify the following fraction to lowest terms.
(B) $\frac{288}{24}$

• A. $\frac{144}{24}$
• B. $14$
• C. $18$
• D. $12$

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Start with the fraction \(\frac{288}{24}\) and recognize that simplifying a fraction means dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD).
2. Find the GCD of 288 and 24. One way is to list the factors of each number or use the Euclidean algorithm to determine the largest number that divides both without a remainder.
3. Once the GCD is found, divide both the numerator (288) and the denominator (24) by this GCD to reduce the fraction to its simplest form.
4. After dividing, write down the new fraction with the simplified numerator and denominator.
5. If the denominator becomes 1 after simplification, the fraction is equivalent to a whole number, which is the simplified result.