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:
6,132 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 7 × 73 = 22 × 3 × 7 × 73
6,132 is a composite number.
90,046 = 2 × 11 × 4,093
90,046 is a composite number.
6,132/90,046 =
(6,132 ÷ 2) / (90,046 ÷ 2) =
3,066/45,023
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.
6,132/90,046 =
(22 × 3 × 7 × 73)/(2 × 11 × 4,093) =
((22 × 3 × 7 × 73) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 11 × 4,093) ÷ 2) =
(2 × 3 × 7 × 73)/(11 × 4,093) =
3,066/45,023
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
3,066/45,023 =
3,066 ÷ 45,023 =
0.068098527419 ≈
0.07