Simplify Fractions Calculator
A fraction is in simplest form when the top and bottom have no common factor except 1. Enter any fraction to reduce it and see exactly which number it was divided by — and how that number was found.
Answer
48/60 = 4/5
Step by step
- Find the greatest common factor (GCF) of 48 and 60 using Euclid’s method:
- 60 = 1 × 48 + 12
- 48 = 4 × 12 + 0
- The last non-zero remainder is 12, so GCF = 12.
- Divide the top and bottom by 12: 48 ÷ 12 = 4, 60 ÷ 12 = 5.
Answer: 4/5
Still stuck? Ask the tutor about these steps
How it works
(n ÷ GCF) / (d ÷ GCF)Find the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator. For small numbers, list the factors; for big ones, Euclid’s method (repeated division with remainders) is much faster.
Divide the top and bottom by that factor. Doing both keeps the fraction’s value the same — you are dividing by GCF/GCF, which is 1.
You can also simplify in stages (divide by 2, then by 3…); dividing by the GCF just gets there in one step.
Want to see why it works? How to add fractions (and why you simplify at the end).
Worked example
Simplify 48/60.
- Factors of 48 and 60 in common: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
- GCF = 12
- 48 ÷ 12 = 4, 60 ÷ 12 = 5 → 4/5
Frequently asked questions
How do you simplify a fraction?
Divide the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor. 18/24: the GCF is 6, so 18/24 = 3/4.
What does “lowest terms” mean?
It means the same as simplest form: the numerator and denominator have no common factor other than 1.
Can an improper fraction be in simplest form?
Yes. 7/4 is in simplest form. Converting it to the mixed number 1 3/4 is a separate step.