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Prime factorization is a term that applies to any positive integer and has no particular relation to denominators, except it a useful concept in reducing fractions sto lowest terms.

The term means to divide a number into primes, which means numbers that can not be divided further.

Example: the prime factorization of 24 is 2*2*2 * 3 ( I use the symbol * to mean multiply)

For is 60 is 2*2*3*5

for 49 is 7*7

for 47 is just 47 since this is a prime.

To reduce a fraction to lowest terms, find the prime factorization of both the denominator and the numerator and cancel all the common factors.

Example : reduce 84/120

84= 2*2*3*7

120 = 2*2*2* 3* 5

so 2 can be canceled twice , and 3 once, so

the answer is 7/ 2*5 = 7/10

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16y ago

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