What is it?
The Fraction Calculator adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides fractions and mixed numbers, and gives the Answer simplified, as a Mixed number and as a Decimal.
Who is it for?
School students, parents helping with homework, and cooks or carpenters working with fractions.
How to use it
- Type the First fraction (e.g. 1/2 or 1 1/2). For a mixed number, put a space between the whole number and the fraction.
- Choose the Operation and type the Second fraction.
How the methods work
- Add or subtract: use a common denominator (the LCM): 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12.
- Multiply: top × top, bottom × bottom: 2/3 × 3/4 = 6/12 = 1/2.
- Divide: flip the second and multiply: 1/2 ÷ 1/4 = 1/2 × 4/1 = 2.
Common mistakes
- Typing 1/1/2 instead of 1 1/2.
- Negative mixed numbers: −1 1/2 means −(1 + 1/2) = −1.5.
- A zero denominator has no answer.
Worked examples
- 1/2 + 1/3 = 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6.
- 2 1/4 − 3/4 = 9/4 − 3/4 = 6/4 = 1 1/2.
- 3/4 × 2/3 = 6/12 = 1/2.
- 1 1/2 ÷ 1/4 = 3/2 × 4/1 = 12/2 = 6.
Everyday uses
Doubling a recipe that needs 3/4 cup gives 1 1/2 cups; cutting 2 1/2 metres of cloth into pieces of 3/4 metre gives 3 pieces with 1/4 metre left.
Errors and how to fix them
- Could not read “…”: write fractions like 3/4 or 1 1/2.
- “The bottom number cannot be 0” or “Cannot divide by zero”
Open the tool: Fraction Calculator
Still stuck?
Contact support. Tell us which tool or page you were using, what you tapped, what you saw, and your phone or computer and browser (for example: Android phone, Chrome). We reply by email.
Questions, or an error not listed here?
Tell us in the comments: what you were doing, the exact message you saw, and your device and browser. We read every comment and add new fixes to this article.