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:
342,552 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 7 × 2,039 = 23 × 3 × 7 × 2,039
342,552 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
599,412 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 11 × 19 × 239 = 22 × 3 × 11 × 19 × 239
599,412 is a composite number.
342,552/599,412 =
(342,552 ÷ 12) / (599,412 ÷ 12) =
28,546/49,951
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.
342,552/599,412 =
(23 × 3 × 7 × 2,039)/(22 × 3 × 11 × 19 × 239) =
((23 × 3 × 7 × 2,039) ÷ (22 × 3)) / ((22 × 3 × 11 × 19 × 239) ÷ (22 × 3)) =
(2 × 7 × 2,039)/(11 × 19 × 239) =
28,546/49,951
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
28,546/49,951 =
28,546 ÷ 49,951 =
0.571480050449 ≈
0.57