When working with mixed numbers, it's important to know how to work with both whole numbers and fractions. These two parts are used in different ways. Sometimes, it helps to think of the whole number and the fraction as two separate numbers while you're solving a problem.
When you simplify a mixed number, work the problem in the same way as you would simplify a fraction. You don't need to worry about the whole number; just leave it off to the side while you simplify.
Let's look at the example of 
. If we're going to simplify this mixed number, the first thing to do is to set aside the whole number, 3. That number can't be simplified, so we don't need to work with it. We'll only focus on the fraction, 
.
Remember how to simplify a fraction? Look for the greatest number we can count by to reach both numbers. What's the greatest number that fits into both 4 and 8? It's 4. We divide the numerator by 4 and the denominator by 4. We end up with 
.
We have simplified the fraction. Now we simply stick the whole number back in front, giving us 
. The simplified form of 
is 
.
