Answer :

To write the comparison of 40 nickels to 22 dimes as a ratio in lowest terms, we can follow these steps:

1. Understand the values of nickels and dimes:
- One nickel is worth 5 cents.
- One dime is worth 10 cents.

2. Convert the quantities to their cent values:
- The total value of 40 nickels:
[tex]\[ 40 \times 5 = 200 \text{ cents} \][/tex]
- The total value of 22 dimes:
[tex]\[ 22 \times 10 = 220 \text{ cents} \][/tex]

3. Write the initial ratio:
- The ratio of the value in cents of nickels to dimes is:
[tex]\[ \frac{200 \text{ cents}}{220 \text{ cents}} \][/tex]

4. Simplify the ratio by finding the greatest common divisor (GCD):
- The GCD of 200 and 220 can be calculated. The prime factorizations can help:
[tex]\[ 200 = 2^3 \times 5^2 \][/tex]
[tex]\[ 220 = 2^2 \times 5 \times 11 \][/tex]
- The common prime factors are [tex]\(2^2 \times 5\)[/tex], so:
[tex]\[ \text{GCD}(200, 220) = 20 \][/tex]

5. Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD:
- Simplified numerator:
[tex]\[ 200 \div 20 = 10 \][/tex]
- Simplified denominator:
[tex]\[ 220 \div 20 = 11 \][/tex]

6. Express the simplified ratio:
- The ratio reduced to lowest terms is:
[tex]\[ \frac{10}{11} \][/tex]

Therefore, the comparison of 40 nickels to 22 dimes, when reduced to the lowest terms, is [tex]\(10:11\)[/tex].

Other Questions