Simplify Fractions Worksheet

We have five groups of 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 simplifying proper and improper fractions. Students can also practice fraction word problems.

How to simplify proper and improper fractions?

After performing some fraction calculations, you will usually be required to reduce or simplify the answer. The method to simplify will depend on whether your answer is a proper or improper fraction. A proper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is smaller than the denominator. An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is larger than the denominator.

There are three printable worksheets. The first will require simplifying or reducing of proper fractions. The second will require simplifying of improper fractions. The third will have both proper and improper fractions and you will need to decide which method to use the simplify the fractions.

There are also some worksheets and fraction word problems for online practice.

Simplify Proper Fraction

To simplify 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: 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:
Simplify 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.

You can also check here for more examples and worksheets.

Simplify Improper Fraction

An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is equal to or greater than the denominator. A mixed number is a combination of a whole number and a proper fraction. When we simplify an improper fraction we will get a mixed number.

Here are the steps:
Step 1: Divide the numerator by the denominator to get the whole number part.
Step 2: Take the remainder from the division and use it as the numerator of the new fraction.
Step 3: Keep the same denominator for the new fraction. The new fraction would be a proper fraction. Simplify this fraction, if possible.
Step 4: Put the whole number part and the fraction together to form the mixed number.

Here’s an example:
Simplify the Improper fraction: 11/4
Step 1: 11 divided by 4 equals 2 with a remainder of 3.
So, the whole number part is 2.
Step 2: The remainder, 3, becomes the numerator of the new fraction.
So, the new fraction is 3/4.
Step 3: Keep the same denominator, which is 4.
Putting it all together, the mixed number equivalent of the improper fraction 11/4 is 2 3/4.

You can also check here for more examples and worksheets.

Example:

 

Have a look at this video if you need to review how to simplify proper and improper fractions.

• Simplify Fractions

Click on the following worksheet to get a printable pdf document.
Scroll down the page for more Simplify Fractions Worksheets.

 

More Simplify Fractions Worksheets

Printable
Simplify Fractions Worksheet #1 (proper fractions)
(Answers on the second page.)
Simplify Fractions Worksheet #2 (improper fractions)
(Answers on the second page.)
Simplify Fractions Worksheet #3 (proper & improper fractions)
(Answers on the second page.)

Online
Simplifying Fractions
Reducing Fractions (Sprint)

Improper fractions to mixed numbers

Simplify Fractions Word Problems

1. Susie baked a cake and divided it into 8 equal pieces. She ate 2 pieces. What fraction of the cake did Susie eat? Simplify the fraction, when possible.

   • Show Answer

     2/8 = 1/4

2. John has a garden with 24 flowers. He picked 12 flowers and gave half of them to his friend. What fraction of the flowers did John give to his friend? Simplify the fraction, when possible.

   • Show Answer

     6/24 = 1/4

3. A recipe calls for 1/2 cups of flour and 3/4 cups of sugar. What is the total amount of flour and sugar needed? Simplify the fraction, when possible.

   • Show Answer

     5/4 = 1 1/4

4. Sarah has a pizza with 10 slices. She ate 2 slices. What fraction of the pizza did Sarah eat? Simplify the fraction, when possible.

   • Show Answer

     2/10 = 1/5

5. James has a box of chocolates with 16 pieces. He ate 8 pieces and shared the rest equally among his 4 friends. What fraction of the chocolates did each friend receive? Simplify the fraction, when possible.

   • Show Answer

     2/16 = 1/8

Related Lessons & Worksheets

Lesson on Simplifying 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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