Simplify the fraction 12/60

First divide both (numerator/denominator) by 2 to get 6/30.

Divide both of those by 2 to get 3/15, then,

Divide both of those by 3 to get 1/5.

In the fraction 1/5, 1 is only divisible by itself, and 5 is not divisible by other numbers than itself and 1, so the fraction has been simplified as much as possible. No further reduction is possible, so the answer is 1/5.

To reduce a fraction to lowest terms (also called its simplest form), just divide both the numerator and denominator by the Greatest Common Factor (GCF or GCD). For example, 2/3 is in lowest form, but 4/6 is not in lowest form (the GCD of 4 and 6 is 2) and 4/6 can be expressed as 2/3. You can do this because the value of a fraction is not changed if both the numerator and denominator are multiplied or divided by the same number (other than zero).