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:
342,530 = 2 × 5 × 34,253
342,530 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
599,392 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 18,731 = 25 × 18,731
599,392 is a composite number.
342,530/599,392 =
(342,530 ÷ 2) / (599,392 ÷ 2) =
171,265/299,696
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.
342,530/599,392 =
(2 × 5 × 34,253)/(25 × 18,731) =
((2 × 5 × 34,253) ÷ 2) / ((25 × 18,731) ÷ 2) =
(5 × 34,253)/(24 × 18,731) =
171,265/299,696
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
171,265/299,696 =
171,265 ÷ 299,696 =
0.571462415247 ≈
0.57