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:
2,142,834 = 2 × 3 × 357,139
2,142,834 is a composite number.
5,999,982 = 2 × 3 × 757 × 1,321
5,999,982 is a composite number.
2,142,834/5,999,982 =
(2,142,834 ÷ 6) / (5,999,982 ÷ 6) =
357,139/999,997
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.
2,142,834/5,999,982 =
(2 × 3 × 357,139)/(2 × 3 × 757 × 1,321) =
((2 × 3 × 357,139) ÷ (2 × 3)) / ((2 × 3 × 757 × 1,321) ÷ (2 × 3)) =
357,139/(757 × 1,321) =
357,139/999,997
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
357,139/999,997 =
357,139 ÷ 999,997 =
0.35714007142 ≈
0.36