Ratio Simplifier
Simplify any ratio a:b to its lowest whole-number terms using the greatest common divisor.
- Simplified ratio
- 2 : 3
- Decimal value (a ÷ b)
- 0.6667
How it works
A ratio a:b simplifies exactly like a fraction a/b: both sides are divided by their greatest common divisor (found with the Euclidean algorithm — repeatedly replacing the larger number with the remainder of dividing it by the smaller, until the remainder is zero), which leaves the smallest whole numbers that keep the same proportion.
The decimal value (a ÷ b) is also shown, since some uses — like scaling a recipe or an image — are easier to reason about as a single number rather than a pair.
FAQ
Why does the calculator require whole numbers?
A greatest common divisor is only defined for integers. If you have a ratio with decimals (e.g. 2.5:4), scale both sides up by the same factor until they're whole numbers (25:40) before simplifying — the proportion stays identical.