Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
55,242/ - 18
Write the sign of the number in front of the fraction:
55,242/ - 18 = - 55,242/18
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 55,242
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 18
- The sign of the fraction: - (a negative value).
- 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 = - 55,242 ÷ 18
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:
55,242 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 11 × 31 = 2 × 34 × 11 × 31
55,242 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
18 = 2 × 3 × 3 = 2 × 32
18 is a composite number.
- 55,242/18 =
- (55,242 ÷ 18) / (18 ÷ 18) =
- 3,069/1 =
3,069
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.
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.
- 55,242/18 =
- (2 × 34 × 11 × 31)/(2 × 32) =
- ((2 × 34 × 11 × 31) ÷ (2 × 32)) / ((2 × 32) ÷ (2 × 32)) =
- (32 × 11 × 31)/1 =
- (32 × 11 × 31) =
- 3,069
* When it's 1, the denominator of the fraction can be omitted.
As a percentage:
- A percentage value p% is equal to the fraction: p/100, for any decimal number p. So, we need to change the form of the number calculated above, to show a denominator of 100.
- To do that, multiply the number by the fraction 100/100.
- The value of the fraction 100/100 = 1, so by multiplying the number by this fraction the result is not changing, only the form.
- 3,069 =
- 3,069 × 100/100 =
( - 3,069 × 100)/100 =
- 306,900/100 =
- 306,900%
- In other words:
- (1) Calculate the fraction's value, (2) multiply that number by 100, and (3) add the percent sign % to it.
The final answer:
written in three ways