Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
- 2/6,418
Write the sign of the number in front of the fraction:
- 2/6,418 = - 2/6,418
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 2
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 6,418
- The sign of the fraction: - (a negative value).
- The fraction bar means that the numerator is divided by the denominator.
- To get the fraction's value divide the numerator by the denominator:
The value = - 2 ÷ 6,418
To reduce a fraction to the lowest terms equivalent: divide the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor, GCF
To calculate the greatest common factor, GCF:
- 1. Factor the numerator and the denominator (into prime factors), build their prime factorizations.
- 2. Multiply all their common prime factors, taken by the lowest exponents.
1. Factor the numerator and the denominator:
To factor a number (into prime factors) - or, in other words, to break it down to prime factors - or, in other words, to build its prime factorization: find the prime numbers that multiply together to get that number.
The prime factorizations:
2 is a prime number, it cannot be factored (into other prime factors).
6,418 = 2 × 3,209
6,418 is a composite number.
- 2/6,418 =
- (2 ÷ 2) / (6,418 ÷ 2) =
- 1/3,209
Yet another method to reduce the fraction
To reduce a fraction without calculating the GCF: factor its numerator and denominator, then all the common prime factors are easily identified and crossed out.
- 2/6,418 =
- 2/(2 × 3,209) =
- (2 ÷ 2) / ((2 × 3,209) ÷ 2) =
- 1/3,209 =
- 1/3,209
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
- 1/3,209 =
- 1 ÷ 3,209 =
- 0.000311623559 ≈
0