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:
16,666,665 = 3 × 5 × 239 × 4,649
16,666,665 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
39,999,987 = 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 97 × 1,697 = 35 × 97 × 1,697
39,999,987 is a composite number.
16,666,665/39,999,987 =
(16,666,665 ÷ 3) / (39,999,987 ÷ 3) =
5,555,555/13,333,329
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.
16,666,665/39,999,987 =
(3 × 5 × 239 × 4,649)/(35 × 97 × 1,697) =
((3 × 5 × 239 × 4,649) ÷ 3) / ((35 × 97 × 1,697) ÷ 3) =
(5 × 239 × 4,649)/(34 × 97 × 1,697) =
5,555,555/13,333,329
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
5,555,555/13,333,329 =
5,555,555 ÷ 13,333,329 =
0.416666760417 ≈
0.42