Fraction to Decimal

Relationship between Percentage, Fractions and Decimals. A.

Expressing percentages as the numbers of parts in every 100. Percentage is a fraction with 100 as the denominator. Example, 9% = 9/100 and 17/100 = 17%

B.

Changing fractions and decimals into percentages and vice versa.

Convert Fractions to Percents

Divide the top of the fraction by the bottom, multiply by 100 and add a "%" sign.

The simplest method is to use a calculator:

Steps: Divide the top of the fraction by the bottom, Then multiply the result by 100 and read off the answer !

Example: What is 5/8 as a percent?

Get your calculator and type in "5 8 =", the calculator should show 0.625, then multiply by 100 and your answer is: 62.5% (remember to put the "%" so people know it is "per 100") Of course you can do the division in your head or on paper if you don't have a calculator!

Another Method
? Percent means "per 100", so try to change the fraction to 100 form

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Find a number you can multiply the bottom of the fraction by to get 100. Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom of the fraction by that number. Step 3. Then write down just the top number with the "%" sign.

Fraction to Decimal

Example 1: Express /4 as a Percent

Step 1: We can multiply 4 by 25 to become 100 Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 25:

25

3 = 4

75

100

25
Step 3: Write down 75 with the percent sign:

Answer = 75%

Example 2: Express /16 as a Percent

Step 1: We have to multiply 16 by 6.25 to become 100 Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 6.25:

6.25

3 = 1 6

18.75

100

6.25

Fraction to Decimal
Step 3: Write down 18.75 with the percentage sign:

Answer = 18.75%

Yet Another Method

Because a percent is actually a ratio (parts per 100) we can also use Proportions to do the conversion. First, put what you know into this form: Top of Fraction = Bottom of Fraction 100 Percent

Then solve using "multiply across the known corners, divide by the third number" :

Example: convert 3/16 to percent

Fill in what you know: 3 = 16 100 Percen t

Multiply across the known corners, then divide by the third number. The "known corners" are top left and bottom right:

Percent = (3 100) / 16 = 300 / 16 = 18.75%

Answer: 3/16 is 18.75% (just like the previous example!)

C. Convert Fractions to Decimals

The simplest method is to use a calculator.
Just divide the top of the fraction by the bottom, and read off the answer !

Example: What is 5/8 as a decimal ... ? ... get your calculator and type in "5 / 8 ="

Fraction to Decimal

The answer should be 0.625

To convert a Fraction to a Decimal manually, follow these steps:

Step 1: Find a number you can multiply by the bottom of the fraction to make it 10, or 100, or 1000, or any 1 followed by 0s. Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom by that number. Step 3. Then write down just the top number, putting the decimal point in the correct spot (one space from the right hand side for every zero in the bottom number)

Example 1: Express 3/4 as a Decimal

Step 1: We can multiply 4 by 25 to become 100 Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 25:

25 3 = 4 100 25
Step 3: Write down 75 with the decimal point 2 spaces from the right (because 100 has 2 zeros);

75

Answer = 0.75
Example 2: Express 3/16 as a Decimal
Step 1: We have to multiply 16 by 625 to become 10,000 Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 625:

625 3 = 16 10,000 625 1,875

Fraction to Decimal
Step 3: Write down 1875 with the decimal point 4 spaces from the right (because 10,000 has 4 zeros);

Answer = 0.1875
Example 3: Express 1/3 as a Decimal
Step 1: There is no way to multiply 3 to become 10 or 100 or any "1 followed by 0s", but we can calculate an approximate decimal by choosing to multiply by, say, 333 Step 2: Multiply top and bottom by 333:

333 1 = 3 999 333

Step 3: Now, 999 is nearly 1,000, so let us write down 333 with the decimal point 3 spaces from the right (because 1,000 has 3 zeros):

333

Answer = 0.333 (accurate to only 3 decimal places !!)