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:
409,653 = 3 × 3 × 23 × 1,979 = 32 × 23 × 1,979
409,653 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
899,999,991 = 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 11 × 73 × 101 × 137 = 34 × 11 × 73 × 101 × 137
899,999,991 is a composite number.
409,653/899,999,991 =
(409,653 ÷ 9) / (899,999,991 ÷ 9) =
45,517/99,999,999
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.
409,653/899,999,991 =
(32 × 23 × 1,979)/(34 × 11 × 73 × 101 × 137) =
((32 × 23 × 1,979) ÷ 32) / ((34 × 11 × 73 × 101 × 137) ÷ 32) =
(23 × 1,979)/(32 × 11 × 73 × 101 × 137) =
45,517/99,999,999
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
45,517/99,999,999 =
45,517 ÷ 99,999,999 =
0.000455170005 ≈
0