Math Skills: Fractions

Lesson 7: Lesson Seven--Multiplying, Dividing fractions; Decimals and Fractions

Section Two: Fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions

Fractions to decimals:

To convert fractions to decimals, take the denominator of the fraction and divide it into the numerator.

Example: 3/5 = 3 divided by 5 = .6

Example: 7/5 = 7 divided by 5 = 1.4

Example: 12/9 = 4/3 (it's easier to reduce 12/9 first), and 4/3 = 4 divided by 3 = 1.3333 with the 3's being repeated.

Decimals to fractions

To convert decimals to fractions, determine how many decimal places you have, then put it over 10, 100, 1000, etc. (a power of 10). The decimal places we are concerned with are: tenths (.1--one tenth, .2--two tenths, .3--three tenths, etc.); hundredths (.01--one hundredth, .02--two hundredths, etc); thousandths (.001--one thousandth, .002--two thousandths, etc.)

In other words, one decimal place = tenths; two decimal places = hundredths; three decimal places = thousandths, etc.

Thus: .3 = 3 tenths = 3/10 Thus: .21= 21 hundredths = 21/100 Thus: .034 = 34 thousandths = 34/1000 (the zero in the tenths place is simply a place holder) Thus: .276 = 276 thousandths = 276/1000

Sometimes these can be reduced. 34/1000 = 17/500 and 276/1000 = 69/250 (by dividing by 4). If the fraction can be reduced you must do so!

What if you have a whole number and a decimal, a "mixed decimal"?

What about something like 4.5? 13.06? 3.019?

4.5 = 4 5/10 = 4 1/2; 13.06 = 13 6/100 = 13 3/50; 3.019 = 3 19/1000

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