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:
41,666,691 = 3 × 11 × 233 × 5,419
41,666,691 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
499,999,992 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 31 × 672,043 = 23 × 3 × 31 × 672,043
499,999,992 is a composite number.
41,666,691/499,999,992 =
(41,666,691 ÷ 3) / (499,999,992 ÷ 3) =
13,888,897/166,666,664
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.
41,666,691/499,999,992 =
(3 × 11 × 233 × 5,419)/(23 × 3 × 31 × 672,043) =
((3 × 11 × 233 × 5,419) ÷ 3) / ((23 × 3 × 31 × 672,043) ÷ 3) =
(11 × 233 × 5,419)/(23 × 31 × 672,043) =
13,888,897/166,666,664
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
13,888,897/166,666,664 =
13,888,897 ÷ 166,666,664 =
0.083333383333 ≈
0.08