Have you ever wondered what it takes to simplify a fraction which has 2 or more digit numbers in the numerator and denominator? Here’s a simple method.

  1. Take a fraction (for example, 22/40)
  2. Find a common factor between the two numbers (11×2=22, and 20×2=40, so 2 is a common factor between the numbers – the factor cannot be 1x that number)
  3. Divide each of the numbers by the common factor (22/2=11, and 40/2=20, so our new fraction would be 11/20)
  4. Repeat step 2. In our example, nothing times anything except 1×11 would equal 11, and that tells us that 11 is a prime number. That means that it has no factors, and this fraction cannot be simplified anymore.

So our final answer for this fraction is 11/20.