1/2 × 3/4
- 1.No common factors to cancel across the × sign
- 2.Tops: 1 × 3 = 3. Bottoms: 2 × 4 = 8
3/8
Verified backwards: 3/8 ÷ 3/4 = 1/2 ✓.
Multiplying Fractions Calculator — cancel first, multiply across
No common denominator, no converting back and forth — cancel across the × sign, multiply straight across, simplify. Then the product is checked by dividing it back.
- ✓100% free — no paywall, ever
- ✓No sign-up, no app
- ✓Every answer verified before you see it
In short
To multiply fractions, cancel any common factors across the multiplication sign first, then multiply the numerators together and the denominators together, and simplify if anything remains. No common denominator is needed — that rule belongs to addition and subtraction. VerifySolve shows the cancelling, the straight-across multiplication, and a division check that recovers the first fraction.
Multiplying fractions, three cases
One method, three shapes of input. The only step that changes is the preparation: mixed numbers become improper fractions first.
Straight across
Cross-cancel first
Whole number × fraction
Mixed numbers first
Worked examples — cancelled, multiplied, checked
From plain straight-across multiplication to a full cross-cancel and a mixed-number product. Every check is the division proof the live solver prints.
2/3 × 9/10
- 1.Cross-cancel: 2 and 10 share 2; 9 and 3 share 3
- 2.Becomes 1/1 × 3/5
3/5
Verified backwards: 3/5 ÷ 9/10 = 2/3 ✓.
1 1/2 × 2/3
- 1.Convert: 1 1/2 = 3/2
- 2.Cross-cancel: 3/2 × 2/3 becomes 1/1 × 1/1
1
Verified backwards: 1 ÷ 2/3 = 1 1/2 ✓.
3 × 2/5
- 1.Write 3 as 3/1
- 2.No cancelling: tops 3 × 2 = 6, bottoms 1 × 5 = 5
- 3.6/5 is top-heavy: 6/5 = 1 1/5
1 1/5
Verified backwards: 1 1/5 ÷ 2/5 = 3 ✓.
Common mistakes — and how to dodge them
Finding a common denominator first
It is not wrong — it is wasted work that invites slips. 1/2 × 3/4 does not need eighths; it needs 3/8, straight across. The common denominator belongs to + and −. If you catch yourself hunting for an LCM in a multiplication problem, stop: cancel and multiply instead.
Cancelling top-with-top
In 2/3 × 9/10 you may cancel the 2 with the 10 (opposite sides of the ×) and the 9 with the 3 — never the 2 with the 9. Cancelling is division by a shared factor, and only a numerator with the opposite denominator shares a factor that way. Top-with-top cancelling changes the value.
Multiplying mixed numbers without converting
2 1/2 × 1 1/3 is not 2 × 1 and 1/2 × 1/3. The whole parts and fraction parts interact — convert both to improper fractions (5/2 × 4/3 = 10/3 = 3 1/3) and the product comes out right. The calculator always converts first.
Multiplying Fractions Calculator — questions
Do you need a common denominator to multiply fractions?
No — that is the most common confusion in fraction arithmetic. Multiplication works straight across: tops times tops, bottoms times bottoms. Common denominators belong to addition and subtraction only. 1/2 × 3/4 = 3/8 needs no converting at all.
What is cross-cancelling, and why do it first?
Cross-cancelling divides a numerator and the opposite denominator by their shared factor before multiplying. In 2/3 × 9/10, the 2 and 10 share 2 and the 9 and 3 share 3, so the product becomes 1/1 × 3/5 = 3/5 with tiny numbers. Same answer as multiplying first and simplifying after — less arithmetic, fewer slips.
Can it multiply mixed numbers?
Yes. Mixed numbers convert to improper fractions first (1 1/2 becomes 3/2), then the usual cancel-and-multiply steps run, and the answer converts back to a mixed number when it is top-heavy. Every conversion is shown.
How is a multiplication answer verified?
By division: the answer divided by the second fraction must return the first fraction exactly. 3/5 ÷ 9/10 = 2/3 proves that 2/3 × 9/10 = 3/5. The check is computed with exact fractions and printed on the page.
Why is the product sometimes smaller than both fractions?
Because multiplying by a proper fraction means taking a part of something: 1/2 × 3/4 takes half of three-quarters, which must be smaller than 3/4. “Multiplication makes things bigger” is only true for numbers above 1.
Is the multiplying fractions calculator free?
Yes — free, no sign-up, no app, full steps and verification included.
Keep solving
Fraction Calculator →
The hub: all four operations in one box, plus simplifying.
Adding Fractions Calculator →
Where the common denominator actually belongs — numerators added.
Subtracting Fractions Calculator →
Common denominators and borrow-free mixed subtraction.
Dividing Fractions Calculator →
Keep, change, flip — division becomes this same multiplication.
Mixed Number Calculator →
Mixed ↔ improper conversion both ways, and mixed-number arithmetic.
Simplifying Fractions Calculator →
Reduce any fraction to lowest terms with the GCD step shown.
A note on honest use: VerifySolve is built for learning. Use the steps to understand the method, then close the tab and try one on your own — that is where the grade actually comes from. If your teacher or school has a policy on calculators, follow it.