1. Let's start with understanding what a fraction is. A fraction represents a part of a whole and is written as $\frac{a}{b}$ where $a$ is the numerator and $b$ is the denominator. 2. If you want to simplify a fraction, find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator and denominator. 3. Then divide both numerator and denominator by the GCD to get the simplified fraction. 4. For example, to simplify $\frac{8}{12}$, find GCD of 8 and 12, which is 4. 5. Divide numerator and denominator by 4 to get $\frac{8\div4}{12\div4} = \frac{2}{3}$. 6. Therefore, $\frac{8}{12}$ simplifies to $\frac{2}{3}$.