Reducing fractions to their simplest form is an important math skill. It’s also quite easy once you learn the steps. Let’s go through it together!

Step 1: What is a Fraction?

A fraction has two parts: a numerator (the top number) and a denominator (the bottom number).

For example, in the fraction 8/12:

• 8 is the numerator
• 12 is the denominator.

Step 2: Find the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)

Next, we need to find the greatest common divisor, or GCD, of the numerator and denominator.

The GCD is the biggest number that can divide both numbers without leaving any leftovers.

For 8, the divisors (numbers that can divide it) are: 1, 2, 4, 8.

For 12, the divisors are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12.

So, the GCD of 8 and 12 is 4.

Step 3: Divide Both Parts by the GCD

Now that you have the GCD, you can divide both the numerator and the denominator by this number:

8 divided by 4 gives you 2.
12 divided by 4 gives you 3.

So, you get:

8/12 = 2/3.

Step 4: Check Your Work

Always check your work to make sure your fraction is in the simplest form.

In this case, 2 and 3 don’t have any common divisors except for 1. So, 2/3 is in its simplest form.

Example

Let’s try another fraction: 15/20.

1. First, find the GCD of 15 and 20. It is 5.
2. Now, divide both by 5:

15 divided by 5 is 3.
20 divided by 5 is 4.

So, 15/20 = 3/4.

And there you have it! Reducing fractions is a helpful skill that makes math much simpler.