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:
2,460 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 × 41 = 22 × 3 × 5 × 41
2,460 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
20,004 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 1,667 = 22 × 3 × 1,667
20,004 is a composite number.
2,460/20,004 =
(2,460 ÷ 12) / (20,004 ÷ 12) =
205/1,667
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.
2,460/20,004 =
(22 × 3 × 5 × 41)/(22 × 3 × 1,667) =
((22 × 3 × 5 × 41) ÷ (22 × 3)) / ((22 × 3 × 1,667) ÷ (22 × 3)) =
(5 × 41)/1,667 =
205/1,667
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
205/1,667 =
205 ÷ 1,667 =
0.122975404919 ≈
0.12