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:
2,285,358 = 2 × 3 × 19 × 20,047
2,285,358 is a composite number.
12,500,006 = 2 × 31 × 37 × 5,449
12,500,006 is a composite number.
2,285,358/12,500,006 =
(2,285,358 ÷ 2) / (12,500,006 ÷ 2) =
1,142,679/6,250,003
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.
2,285,358/12,500,006 =
(2 × 3 × 19 × 20,047)/(2 × 31 × 37 × 5,449) =
((2 × 3 × 19 × 20,047) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 31 × 37 × 5,449) ÷ 2) =
(3 × 19 × 20,047)/(31 × 37 × 5,449) =
1,142,679/6,250,003
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
1,142,679/6,250,003 =
1,142,679 ÷ 6,250,003 =
0.182828552242 ≈
0.18