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Understanding Decimals and Their Uses

Decimals represent non-whole numbers using a decimal point and consist of a whole number part and a decimal part. Each digit in a decimal has a specific place value, and they are essential for expressing fractions, money, measurements, and precision in various fields. Converting fractions to decimals involves dividing the numerator by the denominator.

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25 views2 pages

Understanding Decimals and Their Uses

Decimals represent non-whole numbers using a decimal point and consist of a whole number part and a decimal part. Each digit in a decimal has a specific place value, and they are essential for expressing fractions, money, measurements, and precision in various fields. Converting fractions to decimals involves dividing the numerator by the denominator.

Uploaded by

Raja Sulochana
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Decimals:

Introduction to Decimals

Decimals are a way of representing numbers that are not whole. They are used to express
fractions and parts of a whole using a decimal point (.).

For example:

 The number 3.5 means "three and a half" (or 3 and 5/10).
 The number 0.75 means "seventy-five hundredths" (or 75/100).

Parts of a Decimal Number

A decimal number has two main parts:

1. Whole Number Part – The numbers to the left of the decimal point (e.g., in 4.32, the
whole number is 4).
2. Decimal Part – The numbers to the right of the decimal point, representing fractions of a
whole (e.g., in 4.32, the decimal part is 32).

Place Value in Decimals

Each digit in a decimal number has a place value, just like whole numbers:

Place Decimal
Thousands Hundreds Tens Ones Tenths Hundredths Thousandths
Value Point
Example 1,000 100 10 1 . 0.1 0.01 0.001
Number: 2 3 4 5 . 6 7 8

In the number 2345.678:

 2 is in the thousands place.


 3 is in the hundreds place.
 4 is in the tens place.
 5 is in the ones place.
 6 is in the tenths place (1/10).
 7 is in the hundredths place (1/100).
 8 is in the thousandths place (1/1000).

Reading and Writing Decimals

 0.5 → "Zero point five" or "five tenths"


 3.14 → "Three point one four"
 12.75 → "Twelve point seventy-five"
Converting Between Fractions and Decimals

 1/2 = 0.5
 3/4 = 0.75
 5/10 = 0.5

To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator.

Why Are Decimals Important?

Decimals are used in:

 Money ($2.99 means two dollars and ninety-nine cents).


 Measurements (1.5 meters means one and a half meters).
 Science and engineering for precision.

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