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:
3,288 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 137 = 23 × 3 × 137
3,288 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
6,796 = 2 × 2 × 1,699 = 22 × 1,699
6,796 is a composite number.
3,288/6,796 =
(3,288 ÷ 4) / (6,796 ÷ 4) =
822/1,699
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.
3,288/6,796 =
(23 × 3 × 137)/(22 × 1,699) =
((23 × 3 × 137) ÷ 22) / ((22 × 1,699) ÷ 22) =
(2 × 3 × 137)/1,699 =
822/1,699
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
822/1,699 =
822 ÷ 1,699 =
0.48381400824 ≈
0.48