-5/12 as a Decimal

Professor Greenline Explaining Math Concepts

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It is a simple question on decimal conversion. Firstly, we have to understand fractions and decimals. A fraction represents a part of the whole. It has two parts: the numerator (number on the top), here -5, which represents how many parts out of the whole; and the denominator (number below), which shows how many parts make the whole, here it is 12. A decimal is a way to represent a number that is not whole using a (.) or 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.

What is -5/12 as a decimal?

$-5/12 as a decimal$

Answer

-5/12 in decimals can be written as approximately -0.41666…. It is a recurring decimal, showing it will repeat the same digit infinitely.

Explanation

To convert -5/12 into a decimal, we will use the division method. Here, as -5 is smaller than 12, we will use the decimal method, which will give us approximately -0.41666. Let's see the step-by-step breakdown of the process:

Step 1: Identify the numerator and denominator because the numerator (-5) will be taken as the dividend and the denominator (12) will be taken as the divisor.

Step 2: Since -5 is smaller than 12, it can't be divided as is; we will use decimals. We will add 0 to the dividend, making -5 as -50, and add a decimal point in the quotient place.

Step 3: Now that it is -50, we can divide it by 12. Let's see how many times 12 fits into 50.

Step 4: 50 is not a multiple of 12, so we will look for the nearest number that is 12 × 4 = 48. We will write 4 in the quotient place, and subtract 48 from 50 gives 2.

Step 5: Bring down another 0 in the dividend place, making it 20, 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 -5/12 as a decimal will be approximately -0.41666….