Unit 3

Decimal Fractions
 DECIMAL FRACTIONS
 Written with a decimal point
 Equivalent to common fractions having
denominators which are multiples of 10
 The chart below gives the place value for
each digit in the number 1.234567
1 • 2 3 4 5 6 7
UNITS TENTHS HUNDREDTHS THOUSANDTHS TEN HUNDRED MILLIONTHS
THOUSANDTHS THOUSANDTHS

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READING DECIMAL FRACTIONS

 To read a decimal, read number as whole

number.
 Say name of place value of last digit to right.
• 0.567 is read “five hundred sixty-seven thousandths”
 To read a mixed decimal (a whole number and
a decimal fraction), read whole number, read
word and at decimal point, and read decimal.
• 45.00753 is read “forty-five and seven hundred fifty-
three hundred thousandths”

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ROUNDING DECIMAL FRACTIONS
 Rounding rules:
• Determine place value to which number is to
be rounded
• Look at digit immediately to its right
• If digit is less than 5, drop it and all digits to its right
• If digit is 5 or more, add 1 to digit in place to which
you are rounding. Then drop all digits to its right

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ROUNDING EXAMPLES
 Round 14.763 to the nearest hundredth
• 6 is in the hundredths place value, so look at 3. Since 3
is less than 5, leave 6 alone and drop 3.
• Ans: 14.76
 Round 0.0065789 to the nearest ten
thousandth
• 5 is in the ten thousandths place value, so look at 7.
Since 7 is greater than 5, raise 5 to 6 and drop all digits
to its right.
• Ans: 0.0066

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CONVERTING FRACTIONS TO
DECIMALS

 Fractions can be converted to decimals

by dividing the numerator by the
denominator
 Express 5/8 as a decimal fraction:
.625 Ans • Place a decimal point after the 5 and
8 5.000
8 add zeros to the right of the decimal
20 point.
16 • Bring the decimal point straight up in
40 the answer. Divide.
40
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CONVERTING DECIMALS TO
FRACTIONS
 To change a decimal to a fraction, use
the number as the numerator and the
place value of the last digit as the
denominator
 Change 0.015 to a common fraction:
• 0.015 is read as fifteen thousandths
15 3
 Ans
1000 200

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ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION
 To add and subtract decimals, arrange
numbers so that decimal points are
directly under each other.
 Add or subtract as with whole numbers
 Place decimal point in answer directly
under the other decimal points

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ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION
 Perform the following operations:

13.475 3.537
+ 6.367 – 1.476
19.842 Ans 2.061 Ans

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MULTIPLICATION
 Multiply decimals using same procedures as
with whole numbers
 Count total number of digits to right of decimal
points in both numbers being multiplied
 Begin counting from last digit on right in
answer and place decimal point same number
of places as there are total in both of the
numbers being multiplied

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MULTIPLICATION
Multiply 62.4  1.73:
• Since 62.4 has 1 digit to right of decimal and
1.73 has two points to right of decimal,
answer should have 3 digits to right of
decimal point
62.4
 1.73
1 872
43 68
62 4
107 952 = 107.952 Ans
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DIVISION
 Divide using the same procedure as with whole
numbers
 Move the decimal point of the divisor as many
places as necessary to make it a whole number
 Move the decimal point in the dividend the
same number of places to the right
 Divide and place the decimal point in the
answer directly above the decimal point in the
dividend

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DIVISION
 Divide 2.432 by 6.4:
• Move decimal point 1 place to right in 6.4
• Move decimal point 1 place to right in 2.432
• Place decimal point straight up in the answer
• Divide .38 Ans
64 24.32
2
5 12
5 12

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POWERS
 Product of two or more equal factors

 Appear slightly smaller

 Located above and to right of number

being multiplied

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POWERS

Evaluate each of the following powers:

• .43
The power 3 means to multiply .4 by itself 3 times
.43 = .4 × .4 × .4 = .064 Ans

• (2.5 × 3)2
Parentheses first: 2.5 × .3 = .75
(.75)2 = .75 × .75 = .5625 Ans
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 ROOTS
 A quantity that is taken two or more
times as an equal factor of a number
 Finding a root is opposite operation of
finding a power
 Radical symbol () is used to indicate
root of a number
• Index indicates number of times a root is to be
taken as an equal factor to produce the given
number
 Note: Index 2 for square root is usually omitted
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 FINDING ROOTS
• Determine the following roots:
64
– This means to find the number that can be multiplied by
itself to equal 64. Since 8 × 8 = 64, the 64 = 8 Ans
3
27
– This means to find the number that can be multiplied
by itself three times to equal 27. Since 3 × 3 × 3 = 27,
3
27 = 3 Ans
Note: Roots that are not whole numbers can easily be computed using
a calculator
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ORDER OF OPERATIONS
 Order of operations including powers and
roots is:
• Parentheses
• Fraction bar and radical symbol are used as grouping
symbols
• For parentheses within parentheses, do innermost
parentheses first
• Powers and Roots
• Multiplication and division from left to right
• Addition and subtraction from left to right
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ORDER OF OPERATIONS
Solve (2.4  2)  36  2
2

 Parentheses and grouping symbols (square

root) first:
(1.2)2 + 6 ÷ 2
 Powers next:
1.44 + 6  2
 Divide:
1.44 + 3
 Add:
4.44 Ans
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 PRACTICE PROBLEMS

1. Write the following numbers as words.

a. 0.0027
b. 143.45
c. 1.007368
2. Round 10.2364579 to each of the
following place values:
TENTHS HUNDREDTHS THOUSANDTH TEN HUNDRED MILLIONTHS
S THOUSANDTH THOUSANDTHS
S

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PRACTICE PROBLEMS (Cont)
3. Express each of the following as decimal fractions:
1 7 15
a. b. c.
2 8 16
4. Express each of the following as fractions in lowest
terms:
a. 0.16 b. 0.1204 c. 0.635
5. Perform the indicated operations:
a. 0.0027 + 0.249 + 0.47
b. 6.45 + 2.576
c. 3.672 – 1.569
d. 45.3 – 16.97

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 PRACTICE PROBLEMS (Cont)
e. 1.54 × 2.7
f. 25.63 × 3.46 k. 3 64
g. 0.12  .4 l. 4.64  1.4  1.2 2  2
h. 15.325  2.5 
m. 3 8  2  (.6) 2  2 
i. 0.33
j. (12.2 × .2)2

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Solutions
1. Writing 2. Rounding
a. Twenty-seven ten 1. 10.2
thousandths 2. 10.24
b. One hundred forty- 3. 10.236
three and forty-five
hundredths
4. 10.2365
c. One and seven 5. 10.23646
thousand three 6. 10.236458
hundred sixty-eight
millionths

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Solutions
3. Convert to decimal 4. Decimal to Fraction
a. 0.5 a. a4
b. 0.875 25
c. 0.9375 301
b. 2500
b

127
200
c. c

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Solutions
5. Order of operations
a. 0.7217 j. 5.9536
b. 9.026 k. 4
c. 2.103 l. 5.32
d. 28.33 m.3.82
e. 4.158
f. 88.6798
g. 0.03
h. 6.13
i. 0.027
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