Simplifying Fractions and Mixed Numbers
Cancelling down (or simplifying) fractions is like tidying up your answer to make it as neat as possible. You divide both the top and bottom numbers by the same number until they won't go any further.
Take 18/24 as an example. You can divide both by 3 to get 6/8, then divide both by 2 to get 3/4. That's your final answer because 3 and 4 don't share any common factors.
Mixed numbers have a whole number and a fraction stuck together, like 4⅔. To turn this into an improper fraction, think of it as 4 + ⅔. Convert the 4 into thirds and add: 12/3 + 2/3 = 14/3.
Quick tip: Going the other way is just as easy - divide 31 by 4 to get 7 remainder 3, so 31/4 = 7¾.
