What Are Decimals?
๐ฏ Learning objectives
After this article, you should be able to:
- Understand place value after the decimal point
- Convert simple fractions to decimals
- Add and subtract decimals with one place
A decimal is another way of writing a part of a whole. Instead of writing 1/2, we can write 0.5. The little dot is called the decimal point.
Place value after the point
In the number 3.75:
- The 3 means 3 whole ones.
- The 7 means 7 tenths (7/10).
- The 5 means 5 hundredths (5/100).
Fractions and decimals are twins
| Fraction | Decimal |
|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 |
| 1/4 | 0.25 |
| 3/4 | 0.75 |
| 1/10 | 0.1 |
Adding decimals
Line up the decimal points, then add each column like normal:
0.5 + 0.3 = 0.8
1.2 + 0.7 = 1.9
Where do you meet decimals?
Money! A half-dollar is $0.50. Races: a runner finishes in 12.3 seconds. Thermometers: 36.6 degrees. Decimals measure the in-between parts of our world.
Practise in the decimals trainer.
๐ฌ Comments
No comments yet. Parents and teachers can leave the first one below.
Log in as a parent or teacher to comment. Children can never comment or chat here โ by design. ๐ก๏ธ