Name ___________________________
UNIT 4
Writing Decimals As Fractions
I. Decimal Place Value Names
Starting from the decimal point, say the decimal places to the right of the decimal point.
tens ones . tenths hundredths thousandths II. Steps To Write Decimals As Fractions
A.
If there are any places to the left of the decimal, that will be your whole number
B.
Whatever you see after the decimal point will be the numerator
C.
The denominator will be the decimal place value name (10, 100, 1000)
D.
Reduce if possible
E.
Examples:
1) 0.6 is read as 6 tenths. We write it as 6/10 which reduces by 2/2 to become 3/5
2) 12.13 is read as 12 and 13 hundredths. We write it as 12 13/100 which won’t reduce
Practice. Write each decimal as a fraction or mixed number. Reduce if possible.
1. 0.45 = 2. 1.06 = 3. 0.3 = 4. 15.1 = 5. 11.5 = 6. 32.03 = 1
Writing Fractions As Decimals
When changing a fraction to a decimal, there are 3 different ways you might try. Only 1 of the ways will ALWAYS work. The other 2 ways have serious limitations on how useful they are. So let’s look at the one way you can always use first.
I. Using Division To Change A Fraction To A Decimal
To write a fraction as a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator. (I would •
reduce completely before doing any dividing!)
Don t forget to make the invisible decimal point at the end of the divisor show up and •
move straight up into the quotient. Tip: If you have a mixed number, just change to an improper fraction first! &or find the •
decimal by dividing and put the whole number in front of the decimal when you finish.
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II. Using Equivalent Fractions With Decimal Place Value Denominators
Sometimes, you can change the fraction to an equivalent fraction with a denominator that matches the •
decimal place value names (10, 100, or 1000)
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Once you have a decimal place value denominator, just write the fraction in decimal form
III. Use Memorized Fractions If the fraction is one of the 5 fractions we memorized, then you know the equivalent decimal form •
automatically.
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This only works for these 5 fractions: 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 2/3 and 3/4
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1/2 = 0.5 1/3 = 0.3 1/4 = 0.25 2/3 = 0.67 3/4 = 0.75
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