Fraction Calculators

FreecalcHub offers the Fraction Calculator, which adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides fractions and mixed numbers, with the working shown.

Enter the two fractions in the Fraction Calculator, choose add, subtract, multiply or divide, and it does the rest: it finds the common denominator where one is needed, carries out the operation and cancels the result down. The working is printed step by step, so you can follow what it did rather than just copy the answer.

Master the four basic operations to work confidently with fractions.

One way round: every answer is given as a fraction in lowest terms, as a mixed number, as a decimal and as a percentage, so entering a fraction gives you all four at once. There is no decimal-to-fraction conversion, so to see what a decimal is as a fraction you would have to write it over a power of ten yourself.

For percentage calculations, explore our Percentage tools for conversion options.

Divide the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor. The Fraction Calculator does this to every answer automatically and shows both forms, the result before simplifying and the result after, along with the number it divided by. To reduce a single fraction, multiply it by 1/1 and read off the answer.

Simplified fractions are easier to understand and work with in calculations.

Each side of the calculation has an optional whole number box, so a mixed number such as 2 3/4 goes in as it stands. The answer comes back both as a fraction in lowest terms and as a mixed number, which covers the conversion in both directions.

Mixed numbers combine whole numbers with fractions for practical applications.

The lowest common denominator of two fractions is the lowest common multiple of their denominators. Add the two fractions in the Fraction Calculator and the working names it outright: it prints the lowest common denominator of the two numbers before it rewrites either fraction.

Common denominators are essential for adding and subtracting fractions.

There is no ordering tool: the Fraction Calculator works on two fractions at a time. To compare a pair, subtract one from the other and look at the sign of the answer, or read off the decimal each one gives and compare those. For a longer list, take each fraction's decimal and sort on that.

Comparing fractions helps understand their relative values and relationships.

Decide which operation the problem describes, then do it. Two thirds of a three-quarter cup is a multiplication; sharing 3/4 of a tank between 3 people is a division. No calculator here reads the problem for you, but once you know the operation the Fraction Calculator handles the arithmetic exactly, with no rounding.

Word problems demonstrate how fractions apply to everyday situations.

Both express a proportional relationship, but they count different things: the ratio 1:2 compares one part with two other parts, while the fraction 1/2 compares one part with the whole. A ratio of 1:2 is therefore 1/3 of the total, not 1/2 of it, which is the mistake worth watching for.

Understanding this relationship helps apply fractions in various contexts.

The Fraction Calculator does the four basic operations only, so powers and roots are not among them. Apply the exponent to the numerator and the denominator separately, since (a/b)ⁿ is aⁿ/bⁿ and the same holds for roots, and evaluate each part in the Scientific Calculator. A small whole-number power can also be done here by repeated multiplication.

Fractions in algebra involve solving equations, simplifying expressions, and working with rational functions using fractional coefficients.

For the equation-solving side, see the Algebra section.

Decimals, percentages, ratios and proportions are all the same idea written differently. The nearby tools that do those are the Percentage Calculator, the Rounding Calculator for tidying a decimal, and the Standard Calculator for everyday arithmetic.