Fraction Calculator
Add, subtract, multiply, divide fractions
About the Calculator
Fractions can be frustrating when you are working quickly or helping a student. This calculator handles the core operations and simplifies the result so you can focus on the concept instead of the arithmetic. Use it to check homework, scale recipes, or solve problems that include fractional values. It also helps you practice by showing the exact result in lowest terms. Enter two fractions, choose an operation, and get the answer instantly. The goal is confidence and speed, especially when you are moving between fractions, mixed numbers, and whole values. Use the Fraction Calculator to get a clear result you can act on right away.
Result
3/4
Decimal: 0.7500
The Formula
How to Calculate Manually
- 1
For addition/subtraction: Find a common denominator, adjust numerators, then add/subtract.
- 2
For multiplication: Multiply numerators together, multiply denominators together.
- 3
For division: Multiply by the reciprocal (flip the second fraction).
- 4
Simplify by finding the GCD of numerator and denominator.
- 5
Divide both by the GCD to get the simplified fraction.
Examples
What is 1/2 + 1/4?
2/4 + 1/4 = 3/4
What is 2/3 × 3/4?
(2×3)/(3×4) = 6/12 = 1/2
What is 1/2 ÷ 1/4?
1/2 × 4/1 = 4/2 = 2
💡 Tips
- •Always simplify your final answer to lowest terms.
- •When dividing, remember to 'flip and multiply'.
- •Mixed numbers should be converted to improper fractions first.
- •Cross-multiplication can help compare fractions quickly.
🎉 Fun Facts
- •Ancient Egyptian Fraction Obsession: Ancient Egyptians only used unit fractions (numerator of 1, like 1/2, 1/3, 1/4) and wrote all other fractions as sums; so instead of 3/4, they'd write 1/2 + 1/4, making math incredibly tedious.
- •Imperial Measurement Chaos: The US still uses fractions for measurements (1/2 inch, 3/4 cup, 5/8 wrench) while the rest of the world uses decimals (0.5, 0.75, 0.625), creating a $1.3 billion annual cost in conversion errors and confusion.
- •Music is Pure Fractions: Musical note durations are all fractions of a whole note: half note (1/2), quarter note (1/4), eighth note (1/8), sixteenth note (1/16), making every song a complex fraction calculation.
- •Stock Market Fraction History: Until 2001, US stocks traded in fractions of 1/8 ($0.125); meaning you'd see prices like $50 3/8 instead of $50.38, costing investors billions in wider spreads before decimalization.
- •The Pizza Fraction Paradox: Studies show people perceive 1/4 of a 12" pizza as less food than 1/6 of a 14" pizza, even though the 1/6 slice is actually 36% larger; fractions confuse our intuition about size.
- •Pi's Fraction Approximation: Pi (π) equals 3.14159... but ancient mathematicians approximated it as 22/7 = 3.142857..., which is accurate to 0.04%, still used today for quick mental math.