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:
227,616 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 2,371 = 25 × 3 × 2,371
227,616 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
500,000,028 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 11 × 1,123 × 3,373 = 22 × 3 × 11 × 1,123 × 3,373
500,000,028 is a composite number.
227,616/500,000,028 =
(227,616 ÷ 12) / (500,000,028 ÷ 12) =
18,968/41,666,669
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.
227,616/500,000,028 =
(25 × 3 × 2,371)/(22 × 3 × 11 × 1,123 × 3,373) =
((25 × 3 × 2,371) ÷ (22 × 3)) / ((22 × 3 × 11 × 1,123 × 3,373) ÷ (22 × 3)) =
(23 × 2,371)/(11 × 1,123 × 3,373) =
18,968/41,666,669
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
18,968/41,666,669 =
18,968 ÷ 41,666,669 =
0.000455231975 ≈
0