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:
171,849 = 3 × 57,283
171,849 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
500,049 = 3 × 3 × 11 × 5,051 = 32 × 11 × 5,051
500,049 is a composite number.
171,849/500,049 =
(171,849 ÷ 3) / (500,049 ÷ 3) =
57,283/166,683
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.
171,849/500,049 =
(3 × 57,283)/(32 × 11 × 5,051) =
((3 × 57,283) ÷ 3) / ((32 × 11 × 5,051) ÷ 3) =
57,283/(3 × 11 × 5,051) =
57,283/166,683
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
57,283/166,683 =
57,283 ÷ 166,683 =
0.343664320897 ≈
0.34