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Last updated on March 13th, 2025
It is a simple question on decimal conversion. Firstly, we must understand fractions and decimals. A fraction represents a part of a whole, consisting of two parts: the numerator (the number on top) and the denominator (the number below). Here, -1 represents how many parts are considered out of the whole, and 3 shows how many parts make up the whole. A decimal is a way to represent a number that is not whole, using a (.) or 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.
-1/3 in decimals can be written as -0.33333….. It is a recurring decimal, meaning it will repeat the same digit infinitely.
To convert -1/3 to a decimal, we will use the division method. Since 1 is smaller than 3, we will use decimals to help us, resulting in -0.3333. Let's see the step-by-step breakdown of the process:
Step 1: Identify the numerator and denominator because the numerator (-1) will be taken as the dividend and the denominator (3) as the divisor.
Step 2: Since 1 is smaller than 3, it can't be divided. Here, we will use decimals. We will add 0 to the dividend, making 1 into 10 and adding a decimal point in the quotient place.
Step 3: Now that it is 10, we can divide it by 3. Let's see how many times 3 fits into 10.
Step 4: 10 is not a multiple of 3, so we will look for the nearest number, which is 3 × 3 = 9. We will write 3 in the quotient place and subtract 9 from 10, giving 1.
Step 5: Bring down another 0 in the dividend place, make 1 into 10, and then repeat the division process. The division process continues, and we don't get the remainder as 0; this process is called a recurring decimal.
The answer for -1/3 as a decimal will be -0.3333……