How to Find a Common Denominator

Three-fourths of a dollar is 75 cents. Seven-eighths of a pizza is one slice short of a pie. Fractions can be seen in our everyday lives. Whether you are a student in school, or in a purchasing department for a major corporation, you will have to work with numbers and know how to find a common denominator. The following tips will teach you different strategies for completing this task.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Multiply the bottom denominator in two or more fractions to find a common denominator. If you were given 2/4 and 6/8 and asked to find the common denominator, you would multiply 4 and 8 and get 32.

2. Locate the least common multiple of a pair of numbers. If you were given 2/4 and 6/8 and asked to find the common denominator, you can use 8 because it is the least common multiple.

3. Simplify your fractions before doing Step 1 or 2. If you were given 2/4 and 6/8 and asked to find a common denominator, you could simplify your fractions to 1/2 and 3/4. You can multiply the new denominators and get 12, or use 4 as the least common multiple.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are working with large denominators, it is best to simplify your fractions before locating a common denominator.

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