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:
15,999,978 = 2 × 3 × 2,666,663
15,999,978 is a composite number.
59,999,955 = 3 × 5 × 877 × 4,561
59,999,955 is a composite number.
15,999,978/59,999,955 =
(15,999,978 ÷ 3) / (59,999,955 ÷ 3) =
5,333,326/19,999,985
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.
15,999,978/59,999,955 =
(2 × 3 × 2,666,663)/(3 × 5 × 877 × 4,561) =
((2 × 3 × 2,666,663) ÷ 3) / ((3 × 5 × 877 × 4,561) ÷ 3) =
(2 × 2,666,663)/(5 × 877 × 4,561) =
5,333,326/19,999,985
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
5,333,326/19,999,985 =
5,333,326 ÷ 19,999,985 =
0.2666665 ≈
0.27