Converting Fractions and Decimals

Summary
This lesson tells students how to convert fractions into decimals.

Objectives
• To be able to convert fractions into decimals.

Suggested Grades
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade

Excerpt
Sometimes, you will need to convert fractions into decimals. In order to convert a fraction into a decimal, you would just need to divide the numerator by the denominator. Remember, the numerator is the number on top of the line in a fraction. The denominator is the number below the line in a fraction. In other words, to turn a fraction into a decimal, you would divide the top number by the bottom number.

If your fraction is 1/5, then you would need to divide 1 by 5. The fraction 1/5 means the same thing as 1 ? 5. Since 1 is less than 5, if would be easier to write this as 1.0 ? 5 or . Using basic division, you would then come to the conclusion that 1.0 ? 5 = .2. This means that the fraction 1/5 would convert into the decimal .2.

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