Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
500,000,000,012/900,000,000,004
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 500,000,000,012
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 900,000,000,004
- The fraction bar means that the numerator is divided by the denominator.
- To get the fraction's value divide the numerator by the denominator:
The value = 500,000,000,012 ÷ 900,000,000,004
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:
500,000,000,012 = 2 × 2 × 125,000,000,003 = 22 × 125,000,000,003
500,000,000,012 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
900,000,000,004 = 2 × 2 × 7 × 32,142,857,143 = 22 × 7 × 32,142,857,143
900,000,000,004 is a composite number.
500,000,000,012/900,000,000,004 =
(500,000,000,012 ÷ 4) / (900,000,000,004 ÷ 4) =
125,000,000,003/225,000,000,001
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.
500,000,000,012/900,000,000,004 =
(22 × 125,000,000,003)/(22 × 7 × 32,142,857,143) =
((22 × 125,000,000,003) ÷ 22) / ((22 × 7 × 32,142,857,143) ÷ 22) =
125,000,000,003/(7 × 32,142,857,143) =
125,000,000,003/225,000,000,001
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
125,000,000,003/225,000,000,001 =
125,000,000,003 ÷ 225,000,000,001 =
0.555555555566 ≈
0.56