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:
2,290,906 = 2 × 19 × 19 × 19 × 167 = 2 × 193 × 167
2,290,906 is a composite number.
3,600,002 = 2 × 7 × 29 × 8,867
3,600,002 is a composite number.
2,290,906/3,600,002 =
(2,290,906 ÷ 2) / (3,600,002 ÷ 2) =
1,145,453/1,800,001
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.
2,290,906/3,600,002 =
(2 × 193 × 167)/(2 × 7 × 29 × 8,867) =
((2 × 193 × 167) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 7 × 29 × 8,867) ÷ 2) =
(193 × 167)/(7 × 29 × 8,867) =
1,145,453/1,800,001
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
1,145,453/1,800,001 =
1,145,453 ÷ 1,800,001 =
0.636362424243 ≈
0.64