Detailed calculations and explanations, below
A common ordinary fraction is made up of
two integer numbers and a fraction bar:
55,555,555,568/250,000,000,020
- The integer number above the bar is called numerator: 55,555,555,568
- The integer number below the bar is called denominator: 250,000,000,020
- 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 = 55,555,555,568 ÷ 250,000,000,020
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:
55,555,555,568 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 3,472,222,223 = 24 × 3,472,222,223
55,555,555,568 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
250,000,000,020 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 5 × 462,962,963 = 22 × 33 × 5 × 462,962,963
250,000,000,020 is a composite number.
55,555,555,568/250,000,000,020 =
(55,555,555,568 ÷ 4) / (250,000,000,020 ÷ 4) =
13,888,888,892/62,500,000,005
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.
55,555,555,568/250,000,000,020 =
(24 × 3,472,222,223)/(22 × 33 × 5 × 462,962,963) =
((24 × 3,472,222,223) ÷ 22) / ((22 × 33 × 5 × 462,962,963) ÷ 22) =
(22 × 3,472,222,223)/(33 × 5 × 462,962,963) =
13,888,888,892/62,500,000,005
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
13,888,888,892/62,500,000,005 =
13,888,888,892 ÷ 62,500,000,005 =
0.222222222254 ≈
0.22