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Last updated on March 17th, 2025
It is a simple question on decimal conversion. Firstly, we have to learn fractions and decimals. A fraction represents a part of the whole. It has two parts: numerator (number on the top) here, 1 represents how many parts out of the whole. The denominator (number below) shows how many parts make the whole, here it is 120. 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.
1/120 in decimals can be written as 0.0083333… It is a recurring decimal, showing it will repeat the same sequence of digits infinitely.
To get 1/120 in decimal, we will use the division method. Here, as 1 is smaller than 120, we will take the help of the decimal method, which will give us 0.0083333…. 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 (120) will be taken as the divisor.
Step 2: As 1 is smaller than 120, it can't be divided. Here, we will take the help of decimals. We will add 0s to the dividend, which will make it 10, 100, etc., and add a decimal point in the quotient place.
Step 3: Now that it is 100, we can divide it by 120. Let's see how many times 120 goes into 1000, which is the next step.
Step 4: 1000 is not a multiple of 120, so we will look for the nearest number. 120 goes into 1000 eight times (8 × 120 = 960). We will write 8 in the quotient place and subtract 960 from 1000, which gives 40.
Step 5: Bring down another 0 in the dividend place and make it 400, 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 1/120 as a decimal will be 0.0083333….