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:
83,333,330 = 2 × 5 × 1,667 × 4,999
83,333,330 is a composite number.
Written with exponents:
499,999,984 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 11 × 59 × 179 × 269 = 24 × 11 × 59 × 179 × 269
499,999,984 is a composite number.
83,333,330/499,999,984 =
(83,333,330 ÷ 2) / (499,999,984 ÷ 2) =
41,666,665/249,999,992
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.
83,333,330/499,999,984 =
(2 × 5 × 1,667 × 4,999)/(24 × 11 × 59 × 179 × 269) =
((2 × 5 × 1,667 × 4,999) ÷ 2) / ((24 × 11 × 59 × 179 × 269) ÷ 2) =
(5 × 1,667 × 4,999)/(23 × 11 × 59 × 179 × 269) =
41,666,665/249,999,992
As a decimal number:
Simply divide the numerator by the denominator, without a remainder, as shown below:
41,666,665/249,999,992 =
41,666,665 ÷ 249,999,992 =
0.166666665333 ≈
0.17