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:
1,431,812 = 2 × 2 × 59 × 6,067 = 22 × 59 × 6,067
1,431,812 is a composite number.
2,249,986 = 2 × 1,124,993
2,249,986 is a composite number.
1,431,812/2,249,986 =
(1,431,812 ÷ 2) / (2,249,986 ÷ 2) =
715,906/1,124,993
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.
1,431,812/2,249,986 =
(22 × 59 × 6,067)/(2 × 1,124,993) =
((22 × 59 × 6,067) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 1,124,993) ÷ 2) =
(2 × 59 × 6,067)/1,124,993 =
715,906/1,124,993
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
715,906/1,124,993 =
715,906 ÷ 1,124,993 =
0.636364848492 ≈
0.64