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:
5,499,260 = 2 × 2 × 5 × 13 × 13 × 1,627 = 22 × 5 × 132 × 1,627
5,499,260 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
45,454,545 = 3 × 3 × 5 × 73 × 101 × 137 = 32 × 5 × 73 × 101 × 137
45,454,545 is a composite number.
5,499,260/45,454,545 =
(5,499,260 ÷ 5) / (45,454,545 ÷ 5) =
1,099,852/9,090,909
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.
5,499,260/45,454,545 =
(22 × 5 × 132 × 1,627)/(32 × 5 × 73 × 101 × 137) =
((22 × 5 × 132 × 1,627) ÷ 5) / ((32 × 5 × 73 × 101 × 137) ÷ 5) =
(22 × 132 × 1,627)/(32 × 73 × 101 × 137) =
1,099,852/9,090,909
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
1,099,852/9,090,909 =
1,099,852 ÷ 9,090,909 =
0.12098372121 ≈
0.12