\begin{tabular}{|l|l} & Simplify the fraction. \\ \( \frac{42}{48} \)\end{tabular}

To simplify the fraction \( \frac{42}{48} \), you need to find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of both the numerator and the denominator. The GCD of 42 and 48 is 6. Dividing both the numerator and the denominator by 6 gives you: \[ \frac{42 \div 6}{48 \div 6} = \frac{7}{8} \] So, the simplified fraction is \( \frac{7}{8} \). One helpful tip is to always factor both the numerator and the denominator. For this fraction, you can see that 42 factors into \( 2 \times 3 \times 7 \) and 48 factors into \( 2^4 \times 3 \). Canceling out the common factors can lead you directly to the simplified form!