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:
2,000,000 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 = 27 × 56
2,000,000 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
8 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 23
8 is a composite number.
2,000,000/8 =
(2,000,000 ÷ 8) / (8 ÷ 8) =
250,000/1 =
250,000
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.
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.
2,000,000/8 =
(27 × 56)/23 =
((27 × 56) ÷ 23) / (23 ÷ 23) =
(24 × 56)/1 =
(24 × 56) =
250,000
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.
As a percentage:
- A percentage value p% is equal to the fraction: p/100, for any decimal number p. So, we need to change the form of the number calculated above, to show a denominator of 100.
- To do that, multiply the number by the fraction 100/100.
- The value of the fraction 100/100 = 1, so by multiplying the number by this fraction the result is not changing, only the form.
250,000 =
250,000 × 100/100 =
(250,000 × 100)/100 =
25,000,000/100 =
25,000,000%
- In other words:
- (1) Calculate the fraction's value, (2) multiply that number by 100, and (3) add the percent sign % to it.
The final answer:
written in three ways