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:
100,000,029 = 3 × 53 × 131 × 4,801
100,000,029 is a composite number.
120,000,009 = 3 × 40,000,003
120,000,009 is a composite number.
100,000,029/120,000,009 =
(100,000,029 ÷ 3) / (120,000,009 ÷ 3) =
33,333,343/40,000,003
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.
100,000,029/120,000,009 =
(3 × 53 × 131 × 4,801)/(3 × 40,000,003) =
((3 × 53 × 131 × 4,801) ÷ 3) / ((3 × 40,000,003) ÷ 3) =
(53 × 131 × 4,801)/40,000,003 =
33,333,343/40,000,003
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
33,333,343/40,000,003 =
33,333,343 ÷ 40,000,003 =
0.8333335125 ≈
0.83