Reduce Fractions Worksheet

Printable “Rewriting Fraction” worksheets:
Equivalent Fractions
Reduce Fractions (proper fractions)
Simplify Fractions (proper & improper fractions)

Improper Fractions to Mixed Numbers
Mixed Numbers to Improper Fractions

Free printable and online worksheets to help Grade 5 students practice reducing fractions to lowest terms. Sometimes reducing fractions is also called simplifying fractions. Scroll down the page for reducing fraction word problems with answers.

How to reduce or simplify fractions?

Method 1: Use Repeated Division
To reduce a proper fraction, which is a fraction where the numerator is smaller than the denominator, to its lowest terms, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Start with the given fraction you want to reduce.
Step 2: Choose a number that can divide both the numerator (top part) and the denominator (bottom part) of the fraction. Try dividing by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7.
Step 3: Keep repeating step 2 until the numerator and denominator have no common factors other than 1.
Step 4: The resulting fraction, after repeated division, is the reduced or simplified form of the given fraction.

Here’s an example to illustrate the process:
Example:
Reduce the fraction 12/18 using repeated division.
Step 1: Given fraction: 12/18
Step 2: Try dividing by 2
12 ÷ 2 = 6
18 ÷ 2 = 9
The fraction is now 6/9
Step 3: Try dividing by 3
6 ÷ 3 = 2
9 ÷ 3 = 3
The fraction is now 2/3
Step 3: There are no common factors left other than 1, so we can stop here.
The reduced form of the fraction 12/18 using repeated division is 2/3.

Method 2: Use the Greatest Common Divisor
Step 1: Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator and the denominator. The GCD is the largest positive integer that divides both the numerator and the denominator without leaving a remainder.
Step 2: Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD.
Step 3: Write the simplified fraction using the reduced numerator and denominator.

Here’s an example:
Reduce the Fraction: 12/18
Step 1: Find the GCD of 12 and 18. The factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12. The factors of 18 are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18. The GCD of 12 and 18 is 6.
Step 2: Divide both the numerator and the denominator by 6.
12 ÷ 6 = 2
18 ÷ 6 = 3
Step 3: Write the simplified fraction using the reduced numerator and denominator.
The simplified fraction of 12/18 is 2/3.
So, the reduced form of the fraction 12/18 is 2/3.

Example:

 

Have a look at this video if you need to review how to reduce fractions.

• Reduce Fractions

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More Reduce Fractions Worksheets

Printable
(Answers on the second page.)
Reduce Fractions Worksheet #1
Reduce Fractions Worksheet #2
Reduce Fractions Worksheet #3
Reduce Fractions Worksheet #4

Online
Reducing Fractions (Sprint)
Simplifying Fractions

Reduce Fractions Word Problems

1. Sarah baked a cake and divided it into 12 equal slices. She ate 3 slices. What fraction of the cake did she eat? Reduce the fraction to its simplest form.

   • Show Answer

     3/12 = 1/4

2. Mark went to the store and bought 24 candies. 4 of the candles are white and the rest are yellow. What fraction of the candles are yellow? Reduce the fraction to its simplest form.

   • Show Answer

     20/24 = 5/6

3. Emily has a garden with 16 red flowers and 20 blue flowers. What fraction of the flowers are red? Reduce the fraction to its simplest form.

   • Show Answer

     16/36 = 4/9

4. Jack has 6 green marbles, 6 blue marbles and 4 purple marbles. What fraction of the marbles are purple? Reduce the fraction to its simplest form.

   • Show Answer

     4/16 = 1/4

Related Lessons & Worksheets

Lesson on Reducing Fractions

More Printable Worksheets

Try the free Mathway calculator and problem solver below to practice various math topics. Try the given examples, or type in your own problem and check your answer with the step-by-step explanations.

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