Final answer:
To compare 7/12 and 8/18, one can cross-multiply to find that 7/12 is the larger fraction since 126 (7x18) is greater than 96 (8x12). Alternatively, simplifying 8/18 to 4/9 still shows that 7/12 is larger.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the sizes of two fractions, such as 7/12 and 8/18, it can be useful to find a common denominator or compare their decimal equivalents. To compare the given fractions directly, we can cross-multiply. For 7/12, multiplying 7 by 18 gives 126. For 8/18, multiplying 8 by 12 gives 96. Thus, 126 is larger than 96, indicating that 7/12 is the larger fraction.
Alternatively, we can simplify 8/18 to 4/9 by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by 2, which makes the comparison clearer. Comparing 7/12 with 4/9, it's evident that 7/12 is still larger since 9 is smaller than 12 and yet, the numerator of the simplified fraction (4) is less than 7.