Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
1,020/ - 5
Write the sign of the number in front of the fraction:
1,020/ - 5 = - 1,020/5
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 1,020
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 5
- 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 = - 1,020 ÷ 5
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:
Written with exponents:
1,020 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 × 17 = 22 × 3 × 5 × 17
1,020 is a composite number.
5 is a prime number, it cannot be factored (into other prime factors).
- 1,020/5 =
- (1,020 ÷ 5) / (5 ÷ 5) =
- 204/1 =
204
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.
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.
- 1,020/5 =
- (22 × 3 × 5 × 17)/5 =
- ((22 × 3 × 5 × 17) ÷ 5) / (5 ÷ 5) =
- (22 × 3 × 17)/1 =
- (22 × 3 × 17) =
- 204
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.