How do I change a decimal to a fraction
Change decimal to fraction
2 Answers
For terminating decimals, just multiply and divide by 10n where n is the number of digits, and then reduce the fraction. For instance with 0.28, we have
0.28 = 0.28 * 100 / 100 = 28 / 100 = (4*7) / (4*25) = 7/25
For repeating decimals, you can reduce the problem to the case of terminating decimal with a little algebra. And then apply the method above. Let's do this with 1.52027027027027...
1000*X = 1520.27027027027027...
X = 1.52027027027027...
--------------------------------------------
999*X = 1518.75
99900*X = 151875
X = 151875/99900 = 225/148
You can check this using a calculator.
Tried to post an answer to this earlier but it won't load so apologies if this ends up as a double response.
Decimals are ratios of the number to a corresponding power of ten.
0.1 = 1/10
0.25 = 25/100 simplified to (25*1)/(25*4) = 1/4
0.44 = 44/100 simplified to (4*11)/(4*25) = 11/25
0.3125 = 3125/10000 simplified to (625*5)/(625*16) = 5/16
If the decimal has a number greater than one then just multiply it by the same power of ten you divide by (according to the number of decimal places) and make that the numerator.
2.5 = (2.5*10)/10 = 25/10 simplifies to (5*5)/(5*2) = 5/2
3.72 = (3.72*100)/100 = 372/100 and simplifies to (93*4)/(25*4) = 93/25
Remember the series:
1/10 is one tenth = 0.1
1/100 is one hundredth = 0.01
1/1000 is one thousandth = 0.001






