Fraction as decimal
You learn to write a fraction as a decimal, with hundredths as a bridge.
How to work it out
- Convert fraction to hundredths: multiply top and bottom by the same factor.
- Write hundredths as decimal: 25100 is 0.25.
14
A worked example
12 = ?
- Find a number so the denominator becomes 100: 2 × 50 = 100.
- Multiply the top and the bottom by 50: 12 = 50100.
- Write it as a decimal: 50 hundredths is 0.5.
12
More examples
34 = ?
- Multiply the top and the bottom by 25: 34 = 75100.
- Write it as a decimal: 75 hundredths is 0.75.
34
25 = ?
- Multiply the top and the bottom by 20: 25 = 40100.
- Write it as a decimal: 40 hundredths is 0.4.
25
Try it yourself
Write as a decimal
310 = ?
Write as a decimal
25 = ?
Watch out
You put the numbers of the fraction after the decimal point: 34 becomes 0.34.
A fraction is not a row of digits. Make hundredths first: 34 is 75100, so 0.75.
You write 110 as 0.01.
110 is 1 tenth: the 1 comes straight after the decimal point, so 0.1.
Tips
- You can also divide: 34 is 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75.
Exceptions
- Not every fraction fits into hundredths: as a decimal, 13 goes on and on.
Why it works
A fraction and a decimal can be the same piece of the strip. Decimals count in tenths and hundredths. If you turn the fraction into hundredths, you can write it straight away as a decimal.