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Fraction Terms
Factor tree: A structure used to find the prime factorization of a positive integer. The following is an example
of a factor tree:
Prime number: A natural number that has exactly two different natural number factors: the number itself and
1. Some prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17 and 19.
Prime factor: A factor that is a prime number. The number 3 is a prime factor of 12 while 4 is not a prime
factor of 12 since 4 is not a prime number.
Prime factorization: The factorization of a natural number into a product of its prime factors. The prime
factorization of 24 is 2 × 2 × 2 × 3.
Numerator: The number on the top of a fraction. In the fraction 3/7 the numerator is 3.
Denominator: The number on the bottom of a fraction. In the fraction 2/9 the denominator is 9.
Factor: If a number divides evenly into another number, it is said to be a factor of that number. The number 3 is
a factor of 12.
Fraction bar (operation): The fraction bar means to divide the numerator by the denominator. The fraction ¾
means 3 ÷ 4.
Fraction: The numbers used to express the ratio of two numbers and are used primarily to express a
comparison between the parts and the whole. The following are some fractions: 3/4, 5/6 and 7/10.
Proper fraction: A fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator. The fractions 5/6 and 15/16
are proper fractions.
Improper fraction: A fraction in which the numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator. The
fractions 34/29, 8/7 and 6/6 are all improper fractions.
Common Denominator: A common denominator for two or more fractions is a number in which each
denominator will divide into evenly with no remainder. Some common denominators for 5/6 and 4/15 are 30,
60, and 90.
Least Common Denominator (LCD): The least common denominator (LCD) of two or more fractions is the
smallest number in which each denominator will divide into evenly with no remainder. The LCD of 5/6 and
4/15 is 30.
Greatest Common Factor (GCF): The largest positive integer that divides evenly into two or more numbers
evenly, without a remainder. The GCF for 36 and 48 is 12.