Question

How do you convert a fraction into a decimal?

Answer 1

Step 1: Find a number you can multiply by the bottom of the fraction to make it 10, or 100, or 1000, or any 1 followed by 0s.
Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom by that number.
Step 3. Then write down just the top number, putting the decimal point in the correct spot (one space from the right hand side for every zero in the bottom number)

Answer 2

Example 1: Express 3/4 as a Decimal
Step 1: We can multiply 4 by 25 to become 100
Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 25:
×25

3 = 75
4 100

×25
Step 3: Write down 75 with the decimal point 2 spaces from the right (because 100 has 2 zeros);
Answer = 0.75

Answer 3

If you know how many digits you want in your answer you can extend the fraction with \(10^d\) where d is the number of digits and do the division, throwing away any rest. It's better explained with an example, say we want to know the decimal of 1/7 with 2 digits then we do
\[ \frac{1}{7}=\frac{10^2*1}{10^2*7}=\frac{1}{100}*\frac{100}{7}=\frac{1}{100}*(14+\frac{2}{7})\approx \frac{14}{100}=0.14 \]
Where I threw away the rest 2/7.

Answer 4

i wonder why no one suggested long divison

long division is generally the method when changing fractions into decimals

example, say i have the fraction 5/13
this is the same as saying 5 divided by 13

except you cant divide 5 by 13, so we move over into the decimal place, now we have 50 divided by 13(which is possible and we will get a remainder)

13 can go into 50, 3 times with a remainder of 11

since 11 cant be divided by 13, we move over another tenth place

now we're dividin 110 by 13,

13 goes into 110, 8 times with a remainder of 6

and this keeps going on until you feel you have enough digits, or you have a remainder of 0