How to turn a decimal into a fraction

Have you ever found yourself staring at a decimal and wondering how to express it as a fraction? Maybe you’re helping your child with their math homework, or perhaps you’re trying to understand a financial report better. Converting decimals to fractions may seem daunting at first, but it’s actually a straightforward process once you grasp the basics. In this post, we’ll break down the steps to help you confidently transform any decimal into a fraction.

To turn a decimal into a fraction, start by identifying the place value of the last digit in the decimal. Write the decimal as a fraction with the decimal number as the numerator and the corresponding place value as the denominator. Simplify the fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor.

To elaborate on this process, let’s dive into each step in detail. First, write down the decimal you want to convert. For example, consider the decimal 0.75. The last digit, 5, is in the hundredths place, which means you will use 100 as the denominator. Therefore, you can write the decimal as a fraction: \( \frac{75}{100} \).

Next, it’s essential to simplify the fraction to its lowest terms. This means finding the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator and denominator. In our example, the GCD of 75 and 100 is 25. Now, divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD:

\( \frac{75 \div 25}{100 \div 25} = \frac{3}{4} \).

Thus, 0.75 as a fraction simplifies to \( \frac{3}{4} \). This method works for all decimals, whether they are terminating or repeating, allowing you to express any decimal as a fraction easily. Just remember to always simplify your final answer for a cleaner representation!