Simplify Fractions Calculator
Use this simplify fractions calculator if you want to know what is the simplest form of any fraction. The tool also tells you how to simplify improper fractions or mixed numbers.
Result2/3in lowest terms
Mixed number2/3
Decimal0.66666667
Percentage66.666667%
Reducing to lowest terms
| Original | 24/36 |
| Greatest common divisor | 12 |
| Divide both by 12 | 2/3 |
| Numerator factors | 2^3 × 3 |
| Denominator factors | 2^2 × 3^2 |
The method
divide both parts by their greatest common divisor
The rules in one place
- Adding and subtracting needs a common denominator first. The lowest common denominator keeps the numbers smallest, but any common denominator works.
- Multiplying needs no common denominator at all — multiply across the top and across the bottom.
- Dividing means multiplying by the reciprocal: flip the second fraction and multiply.
- Reducing divides top and bottom by their greatest common divisor. It never changes the value.
Why lowest terms matter
6/8 and 3/4 are the same number, but 3/4 is easier to compare, easier to check and conventional in an answer. Reducing also keeps later arithmetic small: multiplying unreduced fractions makes the numbers grow fast, and cancelling first avoids that.