Add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions with step-by-step results
A fraction calculator adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides fractions and returns the result as a simplified fraction, often with the steps shown. Fraction arithmetic is fiddly because each operation works differently: adding and subtracting need a common denominator first, multiplying goes straight across top and bottom, and dividing means flipping the second fraction and multiplying. Getting a clean, reduced answer by hand means juggling all of that plus simplifying at the end — exactly the kind of careful, error-prone work a calculator removes.
Seeing the steps is what makes this more than just an answer machine: it shows how the common denominator was found, how the numerators combined, and how the result was reduced to lowest terms, which is genuinely useful for checking homework or relearning the method. Whether you are halving a recipe, working through a maths problem, or combining measurements, the tool gives an exact fractional result rather than a rounded decimal. Everything is computed in your browser.
You can only add fractions that describe parts of the same-sized whole, and the denominator sets that size. Converting both fractions to a common denominator makes the parts the same size, so the numerators can be added directly. Multiplication and division do not need this step.
Flip the second fraction (swap its numerator and denominator) and multiply. So a ÷ b/c becomes a × c/b. Dividing by a fraction is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal, which is why the calculator turns division into a multiplication internally.
Simplifying reduces a fraction to its lowest terms by dividing the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor — so 6/8 becomes 3/4. Both represent the same value; the simplified form is just the cleanest way to write it, which is why results are reduced.
Mixed numbers like 1 1/2 are typically converted to improper fractions (3/2) for the calculation, then the result can be shown as a mixed number again. Working in improper fractions keeps the arithmetic consistent across all four operations.
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