Steps for Converting Fractions to Decimals
If you are using a hand-held calculator, you simply divide the top number by the bottom number to get the decimal equivalent.
On the other hand, if you are doing the conversion manually on a worksheet, you can save time by first reducing the fraction into simplest form.
For example, suppose you would like to convert the fraction 40/25 into a decimal. In that case, the first step would be to reduce the fraction to simplest form, like this:
| 40 | = | 40 ÷ 5 | = | 8 |
| 25 | 25 ÷ 5 | 5 |
Once you have reduced the fraction, the next step in manually converting the fraction to a decimal is to use long division, like this:
| 1 | 6 | |
| 5 | 8 | 0 |
| 5 goes into 8 1 time --> | 5 | |
| 8 minus 5 leaves a remainder of 3 & add a zero --> | 3 | 0 |
| 5 goes into 30 6 times --> | 3 | 0 |
| 30 minus 30 leaves no remainder --> | 0 |
Continue adding zeros until remainder is zero, or until the desired number of decimal places is reached. Note that the red vertical line indicates where the decimal point will be inserted.
So after simplifying 40/25 to 8/5, and then using long division on the simplified fraction, we can see that the fraction 40/25 converts to the decimal 1.6, with no repeating decimals.
I hope I've explained the conversion process well enough for you to follow the steps. If not, please let me know in the feedback form located beneath the calculator.
