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:
2,124 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 59 = 22 × 32 × 59
2,124 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
6,027 = 3 × 7 × 7 × 41 = 3 × 72 × 41
6,027 is a composite number.
2,124/6,027 =
(2,124 ÷ 3) / (6,027 ÷ 3) =
708/2,009
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.
2,124/6,027 =
(22 × 32 × 59)/(3 × 72 × 41) =
((22 × 32 × 59) ÷ 3) / ((3 × 72 × 41) ÷ 3) =
(22 × 3 × 59)/(72 × 41) =
708/2,009
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
708/2,009 =
708 ÷ 2,009 =
0.352414136386 ≈
0.35