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:
117,603 = 3 × 3 × 73 × 179 = 32 × 73 × 179
117,603 is a composite number.
531,435 = 3 × 5 × 71 × 499
531,435 is a composite number.
117,603/531,435 =
(117,603 ÷ 3) / (531,435 ÷ 3) =
39,201/177,145
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.
117,603/531,435 =
(32 × 73 × 179)/(3 × 5 × 71 × 499) =
((32 × 73 × 179) ÷ 3) / ((3 × 5 × 71 × 499) ÷ 3) =
(3 × 73 × 179)/(5 × 71 × 499) =
39,201/177,145
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
39,201/177,145 =
39,201 ÷ 177,145 =
0.221293290807 ≈
0.22