Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
- 30/32,991
Write the sign of the number in front of the fraction:
- 30/32,991 = - 30/32,991
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 30
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 32,991
- 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 = - 30 ÷ 32,991
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:
30 = 2 × 3 × 5
30 is a composite number.
32,991 = 3 × 7 × 1,571
32,991 is a composite number.
- 30/32,991 =
- (30 ÷ 3) / (32,991 ÷ 3) =
- 10/10,997
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.
- 30/32,991 =
- (2 × 3 × 5)/(3 × 7 × 1,571) =
- ((2 × 3 × 5) ÷ 3) / ((3 × 7 × 1,571) ÷ 3) =
- (2 × 5)/(7 × 1,571) =
- 10/10,997
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
- 10/10,997 =
- 10 ÷ 10,997 =
- 0.000909338911 ≈
0