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:
342,525 = 3 × 5 × 5 × 4,567 = 3 × 52 × 4,567
342,525 is a composite number.
599,405 = 5 × 119,881
599,405 is a composite number.
342,525/599,405 =
(342,525 ÷ 5) / (599,405 ÷ 5) =
68,505/119,881
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.
342,525/599,405 =
(3 × 52 × 4,567)/(5 × 119,881) =
((3 × 52 × 4,567) ÷ 5) / ((5 × 119,881) ÷ 5) =
(3 × 5 × 4,567)/119,881 =
68,505/119,881
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
68,505/119,881 =
68,505 ÷ 119,881 =
0.571441679666 ≈
0.57