fraction to decimal question

[Relynn]

If we change the fraction 18/36 to a decimal, do we just divide 18.0 by 36? So the answer is .5?
Thanks
Rebecca

[moominmamma]

Yes, that's it.

Miranda

[Relynn]

Thank You!
Rebecca

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by Relynn

If we change the fraction 18/36 to a decimal, do we just divide 18.0 by 36? So the answer is .5?
Thanks
Rebecca

Another way is to reduce 18/36 to 1/2, which then makes it more obvious that you're correct with .5 An extra step, yes, but quicker because you can bypass all that messy long division.

[~mama jewel~]

Just piggybacking onto the pp, by adding a small note:

by reducing 18/36, you find a common factor. Example: what number goes into 18 and 36? 9 does (amongst others, but this is the biggest, so it reduces the fraction faster). So 9 goes into 18, 2x & 9 goes into 36, 4x; so your new reduced fraction would be 2/4 or 1/2 or .5

[theretohere]

Originally Posted by ~mama jewel~

Just piggybacking onto the pp, by adding a small note:

by reducing 18/36, you find a common factor. Example: what number goes into 18 and 36? 9 does (amongst others, but this is the biggest, so it reduces the fraction faster). So 9 goes into 18, 2x & 9 goes into 36, 4x; so your new reduced fraction would be 2/4 or 1/2 or .5

18 would be the biggest number that goes into each.

[~mama jewel~]

Thanks for catching that