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7. DECIMALS, RATIO, PROPORTION, AND PERCENT
7.1. Decimals
Decimals are used to represent fractions.
Example.
3457.968
Expanded form:
Thus
⇣1⌘
⇣ 1 ⌘
⇣ 1 ⌘
3(1000) + 4(100) + 5(10) + 7(1) + 9
+6
+8
10
100
1000
968
.
1000
This is read as: three thousand four hundred fifty-seven and nine hundred
sixty-eight thousandths.
3457.968 = 3457
The decimal point is placed between the ones column and the tenths column
to show where the whole number ends and the decimal (or fractional) portion
begins.
Note.
(1) In some countries (such as India)the role of the comma and period in writing
numbers is interchanged.
(2) In some countries our z (“zee”) is pronounced “zed.”
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(3) In some countries the fraction is read as “four by seven.”
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