Can I simplify a ratio with three or more terms?

Yes, enter any number of terms and the calculator divides each one by their common greatest common factor.

Ratio Calculator

Simplify a ratio to its lowest terms, or solve for a missing value in a proportion

Enter a Ratio (colon, comma or space separated)

What is the Ratio Calculator?

A ratio compares two or more quantities. This calculator does two things: it simplifies any ratio down to its lowest whole-number terms, and it solves for a missing value in a proportion (two equal ratios) — useful for recipe scaling, map scales, mixing solutions and unit-rate problems.

How to Use the Ratio Calculator

To simplify a ratio, switch to "Simplify a Ratio" and enter the terms separated by colons, commas or spaces (e.g. 8:12 or 8, 12, 20).
To solve a proportion, switch to "Solve a Proportion", fill in three of the four values in A : B = C : D, and leave the unknown one blank.

How It Works

Simplifying: divide every term by the Greatest Common Factor (GCF) of all the terms.
Solving a proportion: cross-multiply — if A : B = C : D and D is unknown, then D = (B × C) ÷ A.

Example

The ratio 8:12 simplifies to 2:3 (both terms divided by their GCF, 4). For a proportion 2 : 3 = 10 : ?, cross-multiplying gives ? = (3 × 10) ÷ 2 = 15.

Frequently Asked Questions

A fraction represents a part of a whole, while a ratio compares two separate quantities to each other. They're calculated similarly (and can both be simplified the same way), but a ratio like 2:3 doesn't necessarily mean "2 out of 3 total."

Yes — enter as many terms as you need (e.g. 4:8:12) and the calculator divides every term by their common GCF.