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:
82,312 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 10,289 = 23 × 10,289
82,312 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
19,999,998 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 239 × 4,649 = 2 × 32 × 239 × 4,649
19,999,998 is a composite number.
82,312/19,999,998 =
(82,312 ÷ 2) / (19,999,998 ÷ 2) =
41,156/9,999,999
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.
82,312/19,999,998 =
(23 × 10,289)/(2 × 32 × 239 × 4,649) =
((23 × 10,289) ÷ 2) / ((2 × 32 × 239 × 4,649) ÷ 2) =
(22 × 10,289)/(32 × 239 × 4,649) =
41,156/9,999,999
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
41,156/9,999,999 =
41,156 ÷ 9,999,999 =
0.004115600412 ≈
0