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:
342,554 = 2 × 59 × 2,903
342,554 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
599,418 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 33,301 = 2 × 32 × 33,301
599,418 is a composite number.
342,554/599,418 =
(342,554 ÷ 2) / (599,418 ÷ 2) =
171,277/299,709
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.
342,554/599,418 =
(2 × 59 × 2,903)/(2 × 32 × 33,301) =
((2 × 59 × 2,903) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 32 × 33,301) ÷ 2) =
(59 × 2,903)/(32 × 33,301) =
171,277/299,709
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
171,277/299,709 =
171,277 ÷ 299,709 =
0.57147766667 ≈
0.57