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Simplify 500 to the nearest common factor

1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

1/2

Explanation:

Factor both the numerator and denominator down to prime factors:

500 = 22 * 53

1,000 = 23 * 53

Calculate the greatest common factor, GCF (also called greatest common divisor, GCD), by taking all the common prime factors of the numerator and denominator, by the lowest exponents:

gcd (22 * 53; 23 * 53) = 22 * 53

Divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor, GCF (also called the greatest common divisor, GCD):

500/1,000 =

(22 * 53)/(23 * 53) =

((22 * 53) ÷ (22 * 53)) / ((23 * 53) ÷ (22 * 53)) =

1/2

Rewrite result:

1 ÷ 2 = 0.5 as a decimal number.

Hope this helps!!

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