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:
2,344,278 = 2 × 3 × 71 × 5,503
2,344,278 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
20,000,000,144 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 3,041 × 411,049 = 24 × 3,041 × 411,049
20,000,000,144 is a composite number.
2,344,278/20,000,000,144 =
(2,344,278 ÷ 2) / (20,000,000,144 ÷ 2) =
1,172,139/10,000,000,072
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.
2,344,278/20,000,000,144 =
(2 × 3 × 71 × 5,503)/(24 × 3,041 × 411,049) =
((2 × 3 × 71 × 5,503) ÷ 2) / ((24 × 3,041 × 411,049) ÷ 2) =
(3 × 71 × 5,503)/(23 × 3,041 × 411,049) =
1,172,139/10,000,000,072
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
1,172,139/10,000,000,072 =
1,172,139 ÷ 10,000,000,072 =
0.000117213899 ≈
0