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:
6,666,640 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 × 167 × 499 = 24 × 5 × 167 × 499
6,666,640 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
39,999,924 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 439 × 2,531 = 22 × 32 × 439 × 2,531
39,999,924 is a composite number.
6,666,640/39,999,924 =
(6,666,640 ÷ 4) / (39,999,924 ÷ 4) =
1,666,660/9,999,981
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.
6,666,640/39,999,924 =
(24 × 5 × 167 × 499)/(22 × 32 × 439 × 2,531) =
((24 × 5 × 167 × 499) ÷ 22) / ((22 × 32 × 439 × 2,531) ÷ 22) =
(22 × 5 × 167 × 499)/(32 × 439 × 2,531) =
1,666,660/9,999,981
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
1,666,660/9,999,981 =
1,666,660 ÷ 9,999,981 =
0.166666316666 ≈
0.17