-8/3 as a Decimal

Professor Greenline Explaining Math Concepts

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Intermediate

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It is a simple question on decimal conversion. Firstly, we have to learn fractions and decimals. A fraction represents a part from the whole. It has two parts, numerator (number on the top) here, -8 represents how many parts out of the whole. The denominator (number below) shows how many parts make the whole, here it is 3. A decimal is a way to represent a number that is not whole, using a (.) or a decimal 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.

What is -8/3 as a decimal?

$-8/3 as a decimal$

Answer

-8/3 in decimals can be written as -2.66666….. It is a recurring decimal, indicating it will repeat the same digit infinitely.

Explanation

To get -8/3 in decimal, we will use the division method. Here as 8 is larger than 3, we will directly divide. Let's see the step-by-step breakdown of the process:

Step 1: Identify the numerator (-8) and denominator (3) because the numerator will be taken as the dividend and the denominator as the divisor.

Step 2: Divide 8 by 3. Since 8 is not a multiple of 3, find how many times 3 fits into 8, which is 2 times. 3 × 2 = 6.

Step 3: Subtract 6 from 8, which gives a remainder of 2.

Step 4: Bring down a 0 to make it 20, and continue dividing by 3.

Step 5: 3 fits into 20, 6 times. 3 × 6 = 18. Subtract 18 from 20, which gives a remainder of 2.

Step 6: Repeat the process with the remainder, bringing down another 0 each time. The division process continues with the remainder never becoming 0, showing that -8/3 is a recurring decimal -2.6666……

Important Glossaries for -8/3 as a decimal

Fraction: A numerical quantity that is not a whole number, representing a part of a whole.
Decimal: A number that uses the base ten and includes a decimal point to separate the whole part from the fractional part.
Numerator: The top part of a fraction, indicating how many parts of the whole are being considered, which can be a positive or negative integer.
Denominator: The bottom part of a fraction, showing how many parts make up a whole.
Recurring Decimal: A decimal that has digits that repeat infinitely after a certain point.