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:
1,431,816 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 59,659 = 23 × 3 × 59,659
1,431,816 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
2,249,980 = 2 × 2 × 5 × 19 × 31 × 191 = 22 × 5 × 19 × 31 × 191
2,249,980 is a composite number.
1,431,816/2,249,980 =
(1,431,816 ÷ 4) / (2,249,980 ÷ 4) =
357,954/562,495
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.
1,431,816/2,249,980 =
(23 × 3 × 59,659)/(22 × 5 × 19 × 31 × 191) =
((23 × 3 × 59,659) ÷ 22) / ((22 × 5 × 19 × 31 × 191) ÷ 22) =
(2 × 3 × 59,659)/(5 × 19 × 31 × 191) =
357,954/562,495
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
357,954/562,495 =
357,954 ÷ 562,495 =
0.636368323274 ≈
0.64