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Converting Decimals to Fractions: Part A

If a decimal number terminates (in other words, the digits don't go on forever), express the decimal number as a common fraction with a power of ten as the denominator. Then reduce the fraction to lowest terms .

Since we need to put our number over a power of ten, we need to know what the various places after the decimal point mean.

Math diagram

Example:

Express $0.425$ as a fraction in lowest terms.

Since there are $3$ digits in $425$ , the very last digit is the $1000$ th place.

So, $0.425$ is read $425$ thousandths.

It is written $\frac{425}{1000}$ . It is now in fraction form but not reduced to lowest terms.

$425$ and $1000$ have a common factor of $25$ , so we have to divide both the numerator and the denominator by $25$ to reduce the fraction.

$\frac{425}{1000} \div \frac{25}{25} = \frac{17}{40}$ . Now the fraction is in lowest terms.