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Decimals and Fractions Concepts
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Decimals and Fractions Concepts

Learn operations, conversions, comparisons, and problem-solving techniques involving decimals and fractions.

1. Fraction to Decimal Conversion

  • Formula: Decimal=NumeratorDenominator\text{Decimal}=\frac{\text{Numerator}}{\text{Denominator}}

  • Example: Question: Convert (\frac{3}{8}) into decimal form.

    Solution:

    38=0.375\frac38=0.375

    Answer: (\boxed{0.375})


2. Decimal to Fraction Conversion

  • Formula:

    For a terminating decimal, remove the decimal point and divide by the corresponding power of 10.

    0.375=3751000=380.375=\frac{375}{1000}=\frac38

  • Example: Question: Convert (0.625) into a fraction.

    Solution:

    0.625=62510000.625=\frac{625}{1000}

    Divide by 125:

    =58=\boxed{\frac58}


3. Percentage, Fraction and Decimal Conversion

  • Formula:

    Percentage=Decimal×100\text{Percentage}=\text{Decimal}\times100

    Decimal=Percentage100\text{Decimal}=\frac{\text{Percentage}}{100}

    Fraction=Percentage100\text{Fraction}=\frac{\text{Percentage}}{100}

  • Example: Question: Express (\frac38) as a decimal and percentage.

    Solution:

    38=0.375\frac38=0.375

    0.375×100=37.50.375\times100=37.5%

    Answer:

    \boxed{0.375=37.5%}


4. Recurring Decimal to Fraction — Pure Recurring

  • Formula:

    0.a=a90.\overline{a}=\frac{a}{9}

    0.ab=ab990.\overline{ab}=\frac{ab}{99}

    0.abc=abc9990.\overline{abc}=\frac{abc}{999}

  • Example: Question: Convert (0.\overline{27}) into a fraction.

    Solution:

    0.27=27990.\overline{27}=\frac{27}{99}

    =311=\boxed{\frac3{11}}


5. Recurring Decimal to Fraction — Mixed Recurring

  • Formula:

    \frac{\text{Number formed by all digits}-\text{non-recurring part}} {\text{9s for recurring digits followed by 0s for non-recurring digits}}$$
  • Example: Question: Convert (0.2\overline{36}) into a fraction.

    Solution:

    0.236=23629900.2\overline{36}=\frac{236-2}{990}

    =234990=\frac{234}{990}

    =1355=\boxed{\frac{13}{55}}


6. Comparing Two Fractions

  • Formula:

    For positive denominators:

    ab>cd    ad>bc\frac ab>\frac cd\iff ad>bc

  • Example: Question: Which is greater: (\frac{7}{12}) or (\frac58)?

    Solution:

    Cross multiply:

    7×8=567\times8=56

    5×12=605\times12=60

    Since (60>56),

    58>712\boxed{\frac58>\frac7{12}}


7. Ordering Fractions

  • Example: Question: Arrange (\frac34,\frac57,\frac7{10}) in ascending order.

    Solution:

    Compare:

    34and57\frac34\quad\text{and}\quad\frac57

    3×7=21,5×4=203\times7=21,\qquad5\times4=20

    Therefore,

    34>57\frac34>\frac57

    Next:

    57and710\frac57\quad\text{and}\quad\frac7{10}

    5×10=50,7×7=495\times10=50,\qquad7\times7=49

    Therefore,

    57>710\frac57>\frac7{10}

    Hence:

    710<57<34\boxed{\frac7{10}<\frac57<\frac34}


8. Simplifying Fractions

  • Formula:

    Divide numerator and denominator by their HCF.

  • Example: Question: Simplify (\frac{84}{126}).

    Solution:

    HCF of 84 and 126 is 42.

    84126=84÷42126÷42\frac{84}{126}=\frac{84\div42}{126\div42}

    =23=\boxed{\frac23}


9. Addition and Subtraction of Fractions

  • Formula:

    ab+cd=ad+bcbd\frac ab+\frac cd=\frac{ad+bc}{bd}

    abcd=adbcbd\frac ab-\frac cd=\frac{ad-bc}{bd}

  • Example: Question: Find:

    23+34\frac23+\frac34

    Solution:

    =\frac{2(4)+3(3)}{12}$$ $$=\frac{8+9}{12}$$ $$=\boxed{\frac{17}{12}}$$

10. Multiplication and Division of Fractions

  • Formula:

    ab×cd=acbd\frac ab\times\frac cd=\frac{ac}{bd}

    ab÷cd=ab×dc\frac ab\div\frac cd=\frac ab\times\frac dc

  • Example: Question: Find:

    35÷910\frac35\div\frac9{10}

    Solution:

    35×109\frac35\times\frac{10}{9}

    =3045=\frac{30}{45}

    =23=\boxed{\frac23}


11. Fraction of a Number

  • Formula:

    Fraction of number=Number×Fraction\text{Fraction of number}=\text{Number}\times\text{Fraction}

  • Example: Question: Find (\frac35) of 250.

    Solution:

    250×35250\times\frac35

    =50×3=50\times3

    =150=\boxed{150}


12. Finding the Whole From a Fraction

  • Example: Question: (\frac35) of a number is 48. Find the number.

    Solution:

    Let the number be (x).

    35x=48\frac35x=48

    x=48×53x=48\times\frac53

    =80=\boxed{80}


13. Terminating vs Recurring Decimals

  • Rule:

    A fraction in lowest form has a terminating decimal only when its denominator contains no prime factors other than 2 and/or 5.

  • Example: Question: Which of (\frac38,\frac7{20},\frac5{12}) has a terminating decimal?

    Solution:

    8=238=2^3

    So (\frac38) terminates.

    20=22×520=2^2\times5

    So (\frac7{20}) terminates.

    12=22×312=2^2\times3

    Since 3 is present, (\frac5{12}) is recurring.

    Answer:

    38,720\boxed{\frac38,\frac7{20}}


14. Number of Decimal Places

  • Example: Question: How many decimal places are needed to express (\frac7{40}) as a terminating decimal?

    Solution:

    740=1751000\frac7{40}=\frac{175}{1000}

    Therefore:

    0.175\boxed{0.175}

    It has 3 decimal places.


15. Recurring Decimal Comparison

  • Example: Question: Which is greater: (0.\overline6) or (0.65)?

    Solution:

    0.6=23=0.6660.\overline6=\frac23=0.666\ldots

    Therefore:

    0.6>0.65\boxed{0.\overline6>0.65}


16. Mixed Decimal Comparison

  • Example: Question: Which is greater: (0.72) or (0.7\overline1)?

    Solution:

    0.71=0.711110.7\overline1=0.71111\ldots

    Compare:

    0.72000>0.711110.72000\ldots>0.71111\ldots

    Therefore:

    0.72>0.71\boxed{0.72>0.7\overline1}


17. Approximation of Numbers

  • Rule:

    To round to (n) decimal places, inspect the next digit.

    • (0)–(4): keep the digit.
    • (5)–(9): increase the digit by 1.
  • Example: Question: Round (8.3764) to 2 decimal places.

    Solution:

    The second decimal digit is (7).

    The next digit is (6), so round (7) up to (8).

    8.38\boxed{8.38}


18. Approximation in Multiplication

  • Example: Question: Estimate (49.8\times20.2).

    Solution:

    Approximate:

    49.85049.8\approx50

    20.22020.2\approx20

    Therefore:

    50×20=100050\times20=\boxed{1000}


19. Comparing Fractions Using a Common Reference

  • Example: Question: Which is closest to 1: (\frac{9}{10},\frac{11}{12},\frac{14}{15})?

    Solution:

    Find how far each is from 1:

    1910=1101-\frac9{10}=\frac1{10}

    11112=1121-\frac{11}{12}=\frac1{12}

    11415=1151-\frac{14}{15}=\frac1{15}

    The smallest difference is (\frac1{15}).

    Therefore:

    1415\boxed{\frac{14}{15}}


Advanced Variants

20. Recurring Decimal With More Than One Non-Recurring Digit

  • Example: Question: Convert (0.12\overline{34}) into a fraction.

    Solution:

    =\frac{1234-12}{9900}$$ $$=\frac{1222}{9900}$$ $$=\boxed{\frac{611}{4950}}$$

21. Recurring Decimal in an Equation

  • Example: Question: Solve:

    x+0.3=1x+0.\overline3=1

    Solution:

    0.3=130.\overline3=\frac13

    Therefore:

    x+13=1x+\frac13=1

    x=23x=\frac23

    Answer:

    23\boxed{\frac23}


22. Fractional Expression With Nested Fractions

  • Example: Question: Find:

    11+12\frac{1}{1+\frac12}

    Solution:

    First simplify the denominator:

    1+12=321+\frac12=\frac32

    Therefore:

    13/2=23\frac1{3/2}=\frac23

    Answer:

    23\boxed{\frac23}


23. Fractional Expression With Multiple Operations

  • Example: Question: Find:

    12+3418\frac12+\frac34-\frac18

    Solution:

    Take denominator (8):

    48+6818\frac48+\frac68-\frac18

    =98=\frac98

    Answer:

    98\boxed{\frac98}


24. Recurring Decimal Difference

  • Example: Question: Find:

    0.270.180.\overline{27}-0.\overline{18}

    Solution:

    0.27=3110.\overline{27}=\frac3{11}

    0.18=2110.\overline{18}=\frac2{11}

    Therefore:

    =\boxed{\frac1{11}}$$

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