This free online ratio simplifier reduces any ratio A : B to its simplest whole-number form and shows the equivalent decimal value. It even supports decimal inputs, scaling them up automatically before finding the simplified ratio.
Ratio is expressed as A : B. Decimal values are supported and will be scaled to whole numbers before simplifying.
How to Use the Ratio Simplifier
Enter the first quantity in "Enter Value A".
Enter the second quantity in "Enter Value B".
Click "Calculate" to get the simplified ratio and its decimal equivalent.
What Happens When You Click Calculate
If either value has decimals, both are multiplied by the same power of 10 until they are whole numbers. 0.75 : 1.5 becomes 75 : 150.
The greatest common divisor of the two whole numbers is found. For 75 and 150 it is 75.
Both terms are divided by it, giving 1 : 2.
Separately, A is divided by B to give the decimal equivalent, rounded to six places with trailing zeros removed. Here 0.75 ÷ 1.5 = 0.5.
Everyday Examples
Situation
A : B entered
Simplified
Decimal
Partners investing ₹1,50,000 and ₹2,50,000
150000 : 250000
3 : 5
0.6
Full HD screen resolution
1920 : 1080
16 : 9
1.777778
750 ml of juice to 2 litres of water (converted to ml)
750 : 2000
3 : 8
0.375
Boys to girls in a class of 36 boys and 48 girls
36 : 48
3 : 4
0.75
Using a Ratio to Divide an Amount
Once you have the simplified ratio, add its terms to get the number of equal parts. In the partnership above, 3 + 5 = 8 parts. If the year's profit is ₹64,000, one part is ₹8,000, so the partners receive 3 × 8,000 = ₹24,000 and 5 × 8,000 = ₹40,000. The same method splits a bill, a recipe or a mixture in any ratio.
Points to Keep in Mind
Use the same unit for both values. 750 ml : 2 L entered as 750 : 2 would give 375 : 1, which is badly wrong.
Order matters. 3 : 5 and 5 : 3 describe different relationships, so keep A and B in the order the question asks for.
The decimal is A ÷ B, not the share of the total. In a 3 : 5 split, the first person gets 3/8 = 37.5% of the total, not 60%.
Only two-term ratios are handled. For a three-part ratio such as 12 : 18 : 30, divide all three terms by their common GCD (6 here) to get 2 : 3 : 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
It finds the greatest common divisor (GCD) of A and B using the Euclidean algorithm, then divides both values by the GCD so the ratio can no longer be reduced further.
Yes. If either value has decimal places, both A and B are scaled up by a power of 10 to whole numbers before the GCD simplification is applied, for example 2.5 : 4 is scaled to 25 : 40 and simplified to 5 : 8.
Divide both terms by the first term. For 16 : 9, dividing by 16 gives 1 : 0.5625. The calculator's decimal shows A ÷ B; to get B ÷ A instead, swap the two values.
A ratio compares two quantities with each other, while a fraction compares a part with the whole. In a class with 3 boys for every 4 girls, the ratio of boys to girls is 3 : 4, but boys make up 3/7 of the class.
Simplify both and compare, or cross-multiply. 12 : 18 and 10 : 15 both simplify to 2 : 3, and 12 × 15 = 18 × 10 = 180 confirms they are equal.