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:
8,027,658 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 59 × 7,559 = 2 × 32 × 59 × 7,559
8,027,658 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
18,731,236 = 2 × 2 × 677 × 6,917 = 22 × 677 × 6,917
18,731,236 is a composite number.
8,027,658/18,731,236 =
(8,027,658 ÷ 2) / (18,731,236 ÷ 2) =
4,013,829/9,365,618
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.
8,027,658/18,731,236 =
(2 × 32 × 59 × 7,559)/(22 × 677 × 6,917) =
((2 × 32 × 59 × 7,559) ÷ 2) / ((22 × 677 × 6,917) ÷ 2) =
(32 × 59 × 7,559)/(2 × 677 × 6,917) =
4,013,829/9,365,618
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
4,013,829/9,365,618 =
4,013,829 ÷ 9,365,618 =
0.42857065065 ≈
0.43