Today, in the latest edition of Math with Margo, converting fractions into decimals is a breeze! (Check out last lesson where we went over a classic algebra practice problem and learned how to solve for x.)
In this simple tutorial, our resident math expert will walk you through an easy-to-follow example!
How to convert fractions into decimals
Problem: How is the fraction ⅚ represented as a decimal?
Step One: Write out the problem
The fraction bar is also known as division, so this can be read as 5 divided by 6.
Step Two: Divide the fraction
Since 6 does not go into 5, we must add a decimal and a 0 after 5.
5 and 5.0 are equivalent. Just like saying $5 or $5.00, they are both equal in value. You can add a decimal and as many 0s, and it still won’t change its value.
Now ask yourself, how many times does 6 go into 50? 8 is correct, since 6 times 8 equals 48, which is as close as you can get to 50 without going over.
(Make sure you bring the decimal straight up.)
Learn more: Easy Division Tips & Tricks
Step 3: Address the remainder
Since we have a remainder of 2, we need to add another 0 to the end of 5.0 and bring the 0 down.
Now ask yourself, how many times does 6 go into 20? 3 is correct, since 3 x 8 = 18, which is as close as you can get to 20 without going over.
Step Four: Identify the repeating remainder
You might notice a pattern forming. You are right!
You will continually get a remainder of 2, and instead of writing 3 over and over again, we place a bar over the number(s) that are repeating.
In this case, only the 3 is repeating, so we write our final answer as (above).
Step Five: Write your final answer as a fraction
This means that ⅚ = .83. This makes sense since ⅚ is close to one whole, and . 83 is also close to one whole.
Congratulations! You did it. Wondering how to convert decimals into fractions? We’ve got you covered in this related post.
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