Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
- 26/5,638
Write the sign of the number in front of the fraction:
- 26/5,638 = - 26/5,638
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 26
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 5,638
- 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 = - 26 ÷ 5,638
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:
26 = 2 × 13
26 is a composite number.
5,638 = 2 × 2,819
5,638 is a composite number.
- 26/5,638 =
- (26 ÷ 2) / (5,638 ÷ 2) =
- 13/2,819
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.
- 26/5,638 =
- (2 × 13)/(2 × 2,819) =
- ((2 × 13) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 2,819) ÷ 2) =
- 13/2,819 =
- 13/2,819
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
- 13/2,819 =
- 13 ÷ 2,819 =
- 0.004611564385 ≈
0