The small box on the left of each fraction is for mixed numbers, like the 2 in 2 1/3. Leave it empty if you do not need it.
This fraction calculator adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides two fractions, then reduces the answer and shows it as a mixed number and a decimal. Type a top and bottom number for each fraction, pick an operation and press Calculate. It also handles mixed numbers like 2 1/3, simplifies a single fraction and turns a decimal such as 0.375 into 3/8. The steps appear under every answer, so you can follow the work and check your homework.
How Do You Use This Fraction Calculator?
- Type the top number (numerator) and the bottom number (denominator) of each fraction.
- Have a mixed number like 2 1/3? Put the 2 in the small box on the left.
- Pick +, −, × or ÷.
- Press Calculate or hit Enter.
Use whole numbers only. For a decimal like 0.75, switch to the Decimal → fraction tab.
How Do You Get an Exact Fraction Instead of a Decimal?
Use a tool that keeps the top and bottom numbers as whole numbers the whole way through, like this one. A normal calculator turns 1 ÷ 3 into 0.3333333 and the exact value is gone. Here, 1/3 stays 1/3, and the decimal is shown on a separate line so you can see both.
How Do You Add Fractions with Different Denominators?
Rewrite both fractions over the same bottom number, then add the tops and keep the bottom. For 1/2 + 1/3, the lowest common bottom number is 6. So 1/2 becomes 3/6, 1/3 becomes 2/6, and 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6. Do not add the bottoms. 1/2 + 1/3 is not 2/5. In US schools this skill is part of Grade 5 in the Common Core standards for fractions.
How Do You Subtract Fractions?
It is the same idea as adding. Get a common bottom number, subtract the tops and keep the bottom. 1/2 − 1/3 = 3/6 − 2/6 = 1/6. If the answer is negative, like 1/3 − 1/2 = −1/6, the calculator keeps the minus sign.
How Do You Multiply and Divide Fractions?
To multiply, multiply the tops together and the bottoms together. To divide, flip the second fraction upside down and multiply. Neither one needs a common bottom number first. Example: 2/3 × 3/4 = 6/12 = 1/2. And 1/2 ÷ 1/4 = 1/2 × 4/1 = 4/2 = 2.
How Do You Simplify a Fraction?
Divide the top and bottom by their greatest common divisor (GCD), the biggest number that goes into both. For 8/12 the GCD is 4, so 8/12 becomes 2/3. A fast way to find the GCD of big numbers is the Euclidean algorithm, which is what this calculator uses on every result.
How Do You Add Mixed Numbers?
Turn each mixed number into an improper fraction, add as usual, then turn the answer back into a mixed number. For 1 1/2 + 2 3/4, the mixed numbers become 3/2 and 11/4. Over a common bottom of 4 that is 6/4 + 11/4 = 17/4, which is 4 1/4. Type the 1 and the 2 in the small boxes and the calculator does these steps for you.
How Do You Turn a Decimal Into a Fraction?
Write the decimal over 10, 100 or 1000 (one zero for each decimal place), then simplify. 0.375 is 375/1000, which simplifies to 3/8. A tape-measure number like 0.0625 becomes 1/16. Use the Decimal → fraction tab to check any decimal. A repeating decimal like 0.333… cannot be typed in exactly, so use 1/3 on the main tab instead.
Why Does a Scientific Calculator Sometimes Show a Decimal Instead of a Fraction?
Most scientific calculators are built to return one decimal, because a decimal works for every kind of number, including ones that cannot be written as a neat fraction. Many models can switch, though. Casio models have an S⇔D key, and Texas Instruments models like the TI-30XS MultiView have a fraction-decimal switch too. If you own one, our pages on the Casio fx-991 and the TI-30XS MultiView compare each one with this online tool.
When Should You Use a Fraction Instead of a Decimal?
Use a fraction when you need an exact value, or when the measurement is naturally in fractions. In the US, tape measures and drill bits use fractions of an inch, like 5/16 or 11/32. In Brazil and South Africa, where metric is the norm, fractions mostly show up in school math and recipes, while measurements use decimals with a comma.
What Mistakes Do People Make With Fractions?
- Adding the tops and the bottoms (1/2 + 1/3 = 2/5). That is wrong. Find a common bottom number first.
- Forgetting to flip the second fraction when dividing.
- Leaving the answer unsimplified. 6/12 is correct, but most teachers want 1/2.
- Reading 2 1/3 as 2 × 1/3. A mixed number means 2 plus 1/3, which is 7/3.
Is This Fraction Calculator Accurate?
Yes. It uses whole-number math in your browser, so nothing is rounded until the decimal line, and that line shows a ≈ sign when it was rounded to 10 places. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. We checked it against every example on this page. Last updated: October 2026.
What Is the Best Calculator With Fractions?
For a physical calculator with fractions, look for a natural-display model that can switch an answer between fraction and decimal. The Casio fx-991EX and fx-300ES Plus show fractions the way a textbook does, and TI describes fraction and decimal conversion on the TI-30XS MultiView and TI-36X Pro. For quick work on a phone or laptop, this page keeps the top and bottom as whole numbers, so the answer stays exact. Our buying guide compares the common models.
How Do You Divide Mixed Numbers?
Turn the mixed number into an improper fraction, then multiply by the flipped divisor. For 8 3/4 ÷ 5, first 8 3/4 is 35/4. Then 35/4 × 1/5 = 35/20, which simplifies to 7/4, or 1 3/4. Put the 8 in the small box on the left, the 3 and 4 as the fraction, and the calculator shows these steps for you.
How Do You Change an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number?
Divide the top by the bottom. The whole number is the quotient, and the remainder goes over the bottom. For 17/4, 17 ÷ 4 is 4 with a remainder of 1, so 17/4 is 4 1/4. To go back, multiply the whole number by the bottom and add the top: 3 2/5 is (3 × 5 + 2)/5 = 17/5. Our remainder guide shows more on finding remainders.
How Do You Divide by a Decimal Like 0.375?
Write the decimal as a fraction first. 0.375 is 3/8, so 5 ÷ 0.375 becomes 5 ÷ 3/8 = 5 × 8/3 = 40/3, which is 13 1/3. Use the Decimal → fraction tab to turn any decimal into a fraction before you divide.
What Else Can You Do on This Site?
Working with very big or very small numbers? Try the scientific notation calculator. For trig, logs and statistics, use the free online scientific calculator. If your fraction sits inside a longer expression, read our order of operations guide first.