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:
246,918 = 2 × 3 × 7 × 5,879
246,918 is a composite number.
59,999,989 = 7 × 8,571,427
59,999,989 is a composite number.
246,918/59,999,989 =
(246,918 ÷ 7) / (59,999,989 ÷ 7) =
35,274/8,571,427
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.
246,918/59,999,989 =
(2 × 3 × 7 × 5,879)/(7 × 8,571,427) =
((2 × 3 × 7 × 5,879) ÷ 7) / ((7 × 8,571,427) ÷ 7) =
(2 × 3 × 5,879)/8,571,427 =
35,274/8,571,427
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
35,274/8,571,427 =
35,274 ÷ 8,571,427 =
0.004115300754 ≈
0