Fractions — Basics

Walkthrough

Simplify 12⁄16 to its lowest terms.

1. 1.To simplify a fraction, divide both numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD).
2. 2.Find the GCD of 12 and 16: the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 and the factors of 16 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, so the GCD is 4.
3. 3.Divide both numerator and denominator by 4: 12 ÷ 4 = 3 and 16 ÷ 4 = 4.
4. 4.The simplified fraction is 3⁄4.
5. 5.Verify: 3 and 4 share no common factor other than 1, so the fraction is fully reduced.