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:
6,666,715 = 5 × 11 × 47 × 2,579
6,666,715 is a composite number.
39,999,982 = 2 × 11 × 31 × 89 × 659
39,999,982 is a composite number.
6,666,715/39,999,982 =
(6,666,715 ÷ 11) / (39,999,982 ÷ 11) =
606,065/3,636,362
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.
6,666,715/39,999,982 =
(5 × 11 × 47 × 2,579)/(2 × 11 × 31 × 89 × 659) =
((5 × 11 × 47 × 2,579) ÷ 11) / ((2 × 11 × 31 × 89 × 659) ÷ 11) =
(5 × 47 × 2,579)/(2 × 31 × 89 × 659) =
606,065/3,636,362
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
606,065/3,636,362 =
606,065 ÷ 3,636,362 =
0.166667950001 ≈
0.17