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:
6,666,655 = 5 × 1,333,331
6,666,655 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
39,999,952 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2,499,997 = 24 × 2,499,997
39,999,952 is a composite number.
2. Multiply all the common prime factors:
- Multiply all the common prime factors: if there are repeating prime factors we only take them once, and only the ones having the lowest exponent (the lowest powers).
But the numerator and the denominator have no common prime factors.
GCF (5 × 1,333,331; 24 × 2,499,997) = 1
Reduce (simplify) the common ordinary fraction: 6,666,655/39,999,952
The fraction cannot be reduced (simplified)
The GCF = 1, the numerator and denominator of the fraction are coprime numbers (they are prime to each other, they have no common prime factors).
The fraction is called irreducible and it has the smallest possible numerator and denominator.
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
6,666,655/39,999,952 =
6,666,655 ÷ 39,999,952 =
0.166666575 ≈
0.17