Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
12,360/ - 2
Write the sign of the number in front of the fraction:
12,360/ - 2 = - 12,360/2
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 12,360
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 2
- 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 = - 12,360 ÷ 2
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:
12,360 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 × 103 = 23 × 3 × 5 × 103
12,360 is a composite number.
2 is a prime number, it cannot be factored (into other prime factors).
- 12,360/2 =
- (12,360 ÷ 2) / (2 ÷ 2) =
- 6,180/1 =
6,180
* 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.
- 12,360/2 =
- (23 × 3 × 5 × 103)/2 =
- ((23 × 3 × 5 × 103) ÷ 2) / (2 ÷ 2) =
- (22 × 3 × 5 × 103)/1 =
- (22 × 3 × 5 × 103) =
- 6,180
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.
As a percentage:
- A percentage value p% is equal to the fraction: p/100, for any decimal number p. So, we need to change the form of the number calculated above, to show a denominator of 100.
- To do that, multiply the number by the fraction 100/100.
- The value of the fraction 100/100 = 1, so by multiplying the number by this fraction the result is not changing, only the form.
- 6,180 =
- 6,180 × 100/100 =
( - 6,180 × 100)/100 =
- 618,000/100 =
- 618,000%
- In other words:
- (1) Calculate the fraction's value, (2) multiply that number by 100, and (3) add the percent sign % to it.
The final answer:
written in three ways