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:
2,290,912 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 13 × 5,507 = 25 × 13 × 5,507
2,290,912 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
3,600,008 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 450,001 = 23 × 450,001
3,600,008 is a composite number.
2,290,912/3,600,008 =
(2,290,912 ÷ 8) / (3,600,008 ÷ 8) =
286,364/450,001
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.
2,290,912/3,600,008 =
(25 × 13 × 5,507)/(23 × 450,001) =
((25 × 13 × 5,507) ÷ 23) / ((23 × 450,001) ÷ 23) =
(22 × 13 × 5,507)/450,001 =
286,364/450,001
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
286,364/450,001 =
286,364 ÷ 450,001 =
0.636363030304 ≈
0.64