Table Of Contents
Last updated on March 3rd, 2025
It is a simple question on decimal conversion. Firstly, we have to learn fractions and decimals. A mixed number consists of a whole number and a fraction combined. Here, 3 is the whole number, and 7/8 is the fraction. A fraction represents a part of the whole, with the numerator (number on the top) showing how many parts we have, and the denominator (number below) showing how many parts make up the whole. A decimal is a way to represent numbers that are not whole, using a decimal point (.) to separate the whole part from the fractional part. The numbers to the left of the decimal point represent the whole, and those to the right represent the fractional part.
3 7/8 as a decimal can be written as 3.875. It is a terminating decimal, meaning it ends after a certain number of digits.
To convert 3 7/8 to a decimal, we will first convert the fractional part 7/8 into a decimal. Let's see the step-by-step breakdown of the process:
Step 1: Identify the numerator and denominator of the fraction. The numerator (7) will be taken as the dividend, and the denominator (8) will be the divisor.
Step 2: Divide 7 by 8 using long division.
Step 3: As 7 is smaller than 8, consider 70 instead (by adding a decimal point and a zero). Divide 70 by 8.
Step 4: 8 goes into 70 eight times, as 8 × 8 = 64. Write 8 in the quotient and subtract 64 from 70, leaving a remainder of 6.
Step 5: Bring down another 0 to make 60. Divide 60 by 8, which goes 7 times (8 × 7 = 56). Write 7 in the quotient.
Step 6: Subtract 56 from 60 to get a remainder of 4. Bring down a 0 to make 40. Divide 40 by 8, which goes 5 times (8 × 5 = 40).
Step 7: Subtract 40 from 40, leaving a remainder of 0, and the division stops here.
Thus, 7/8 as a decimal is 0.875. Combine it with the whole number 3 to get 3.875.