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:
5,499,207 = 3 × 3 × 7 × 41 × 2,129 = 32 × 7 × 41 × 2,129
5,499,207 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
45,454,500 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 7 × 13 × 37 = 22 × 33 × 53 × 7 × 13 × 37
45,454,500 is a composite number.
5,499,207/45,454,500 =
(5,499,207 ÷ 63) / (45,454,500 ÷ 63) =
87,289/721,500
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.
5,499,207/45,454,500 =
(32 × 7 × 41 × 2,129)/(22 × 33 × 53 × 7 × 13 × 37) =
((32 × 7 × 41 × 2,129) ÷ (32 × 7)) / ((22 × 33 × 53 × 7 × 13 × 37) ÷ (32 × 7)) =
(41 × 2,129)/(22 × 3 × 53 × 13 × 37) =
87,289/721,500
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
87,289/721,500 =
87,289 ÷ 721,500 =
0.120982674983 ≈
0.12