Multiplying fractions

Multiplying fractions is the easiest operation of all — easier than adding. No common denominator needed. You go straight across.

Tops times tops, bottoms times bottoms

2/3 × 3/4: multiply the numerators (2 × 3 = 6), multiply the denominators (3 × 4 = 12) → 6/12, which simplifies to 1/2.

That's the whole rule. No matching denominators, no extra steps.

Why the answer gets smaller

Multiplying by a fraction means taking a part of something. 1/2 × 1/2 is "half of a half" — a quarter:

So multiplying two fractions that are each less than 1 always gives something smaller than either — the opposite of multiplying whole numbers. "Of" is the word to listen for: 1/3 of 6 is 1/3 × 6 = 2.