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Last updated on March 3rd, 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, the numerator (number on the top), here 5, represents how many parts out of the whole. The denominator (number below) shows how many parts make the whole, here it is 16. 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 fraction part. The numbers to the left of the decimal point represent the whole, and those to the right represent the fractional part.
5/16 in decimals can be written as 0.3125. It is a terminating decimal, meaning it ends and does not repeat infinitely.
To get 5/16 in decimal form, we will use the division method. Here, as 5 is smaller than 16, we will take the help of the decimal method, which will give us 0.3125. 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 (16) will be taken as the divisor.
Step 2: As 5 is smaller than 16, it can't be divided without using decimals. We will add 0 to the dividend, making it 50, and add a decimal point in the quotient place.
Step 3: Now that it is 50, we can divide it by 16. Let's see how many times 16 fits into 50.
Step 4: 16 goes into 50, 3 times because 16 × 3 = 48. We will write 3 in the quotient place and subtract 48 from 50, giving us 2.
Step 5: Bring down another 0 in the dividend place, making it 20, and then repeat the division process.
Step 6: 16 goes into 20, 1 time because 16 × 1 = 16. We write 1 in the quotient place and subtract 16 from 20, giving us 4.
Step 7: Bring down another 0, making it 40, and repeat the division process.
Step 8: 16 goes into 40, 2 times because 16 × 2 = 32. We write 2 in the quotient place and subtract 32 from 40, giving us 8.
Step 9: Bring down another 0, making it 80, and repeat the division process.
Step 10: 16 goes into 80, 5 times because 16 × 5 = 80. We write 5 in the quotient place and subtract 80 from 80, giving us 0. The division process ends here, and we have a terminating decimal.
The answer for 5/16 as a decimal is 0.3125.