One way to compare fractions is to re-express them with a common
denominator. and is greater than so is greater
than Another method is to convert them both to decimals: converts
to 0.75, and converts to approximately 0.714.
25 . Converting Fractions and Decimals
To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the bottom into the top. To
convert divide 8 into 5, yielding 0.625.
To convert a decimal to a fraction, set the decimal over 1 and multiply the
numerator and denominator by 10 raised to the number of digits which
are to the right of the decimal point.
To convert 0.625 to a fraction, you would multiply by
Then simplify:
26 . Repeating Decimal
To find a particular digit in a repeating decimal, note the number of digits
in the cluster that repeats. If there are 2 digits in that cluster, then every
second digit is the same. If there are 3 digits in that cluster, then every third
digit is the same. And so on. For example, the decimal equivalent of is
0.037037037..., which is best written There are 3 digits in the
repeating cluster, so every third digit is the same. To find the 50th digit,
look for the multiple of 3 just less than 50—that’s 48. The 48th digit is 7, and
with the 49th digit, the pattern repeats with 0. The 50th digit is 3.
27 . Identifying the Parts and the Whole