Each fraction can be reduced to it’s simplest form, in which the numerator and denominator are as small as possible. To simplify a fraction you have to first find the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator. You then have to divide the numerator and denominator by the biggest possible integer: the Greatest Common Factor (GCF).
For example, we have the following fraction:12⁄18
The numerator (12) and the denominator (18) are both divisible by 6 (so the largest number that goes exactly into both 12 and 18 is 6 and therefore the greatest common factor is 6). Therefore if you divide the numerator and denominator by 6, you can write the fraction as:
12⁄6 / 18⁄6 = 2⁄3
You can also simplify a fraction in steps. So 12⁄18 can also be written as 6⁄9 (the numerator and denominator can both be divided by 2). However, both 6 and 9 can also be divided by 3, so you can write 6⁄9 as 2⁄3. 2⁄3 is the simplest form.
12⁄18 = 6⁄9 = 2⁄3