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:
15,151,358 = 2 × 1,871 × 4,049
15,151,358 is a composite number.
36,363,422 = 2 × 467 × 38,933
36,363,422 is a composite number.
15,151,358/36,363,422 =
(15,151,358 ÷ 2) / (36,363,422 ÷ 2) =
7,575,679/18,181,711
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.
15,151,358/36,363,422 =
(2 × 1,871 × 4,049)/(2 × 467 × 38,933) =
((2 × 1,871 × 4,049) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 467 × 38,933) ÷ 2) =
(1,871 × 4,049)/(467 × 38,933) =
7,575,679/18,181,711
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
7,575,679/18,181,711 =
7,575,679 ÷ 18,181,711 =
0.416664801239 ≈
0.42