Identify a number by which you can divide both the numerator and the denominator. For example, with the fraction 24/36, both 24 and 36 are divisible by 6.
Divide the numerator and denominator by the common factor. In this example, divide 24 by 6 to get 4 and 36 by 6 to get 6, making the fraction 4/6.
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until the numerator and denominator share no common factors other than 1. In this example, 4 and 6 share a common factor of 2, so divide 4 by 2 and 6 by 2 to get 2/3. Since 2 and 3 do not share any common factors, 2/3 is the simplest form of 24/36.