A Decimal Number (based on the number 10) contains a Decimal Point.

Place Value
To understand decimal numbers you must first know about Place Value. When we write numbers, the position (or "place") of each number is important. In the number 327:

the "7" is in the Units position, meaning just 7 (or 7 "1"s), the "2" is in the Tens position meaning 2 tens (or twenty), and the "3" is in the Hundreds position, meaning 3 hundreds.

"Three Hundred Twenty Seven" As we move left, each position is 10 times bigger! From Units, to Tens, to Hundreds ... and ... As we move right, each position is 10 times smaller. From Hundreds, to Tens, to Units

But what if we continue past Units? What is 10 times smaller than Units?
1

/10 ths (Tenths) are!

But we must first write a decimal point, so we know exactly where the Units position is:

"three hundred twenty seven and four tenths" but we usually just say "three hundred twenty seven point four" And that is a decimal number! The decimal point is the most important part of a Decimal Number. It is exactly to the right of the Units position. Without it, we would be lost ... and not know what each position meant. Now we can continue with smaller and smaller values, from tenths, to hundredths, and so on, like in this example:

Large and Small

So, our Decimal System lets us write numbers as large or as small as we want, using the decimal point. Numbers can be placed to the left or right of a decimal point, to indicate values greater than one or less than one. 17.591 The number to the left of the decimal point is a whole number (17 for example) As we move further left, every number place gets 10 times bigger.

The first digit on the right means tenths (1/10).

As we move further right, every number place gets 10 times smaller (one tenth as big).

The word "Decimal" really means "based on 10" (From Latin decima: a tenth part). We sometimes say "decimal" when we mean anything to do with our numbering system, but a "Decimal Number" usually means there is a Decimal Point.

Adding Decimals Adding decimals is easy if you keep your work neat To add decimals, follow these steps:

Write down the numbers, one under the other, with the decimal points lined up Put in zeros so the numbers have the same length Then add normally, remembering to put the decimal point in the answer Example: Add 1.452 to 1.3 Line the decimals up: 1.452 + 1.3 "Pad" with zeros: 1.452 + 1.300 1.452 + 1.300 2.752 Example: Add 3.25, 0.075 and 5 Line the decimals up:

Add:

3.25 0.075 + 5. 3.250 0.075 + 5.000 3.250 0.075 + 5.000 8.325

"Pad" with zeros:

Add:

Subtracting Decimals Subtracting decimals is easy if you keep your work neat To subtract decimals, follow these steps:

Write down the two numbers, one under the other, with the decimal points lined up. Add zeros so the numbers have the same length Then subtract normally, remembering to put the decimal point in the answer Example: Subtract 0.03 from 1.1 Line the decimals up: 1.1 - 0.03 "Pad" with zeros: 1.10 - 0.03 1.10 - 0.03 1.07 Answer: 1.07

Subtract:

So, that was just like 110 - 3 = 107, but with the decimal point in a different position

Example: Calculate 7.005-0.55 Line the decimals up: 7.005 - 0.55 "Pad" with zeros: 7.005 - 0.550 7.005 - 0.550 6.455 Answer: 6.455 And that was just like 7,005 - 550 = 6,455

Subtract:

Multiplying Decimals Multiply without the decimal point, then re-insert it in the correct spot! How to Multiply Decimals Just follow these steps:

Multiply normally, ignoring the decimal points. Then put the decimal point in the answer - it will have as many decimal places as the two original numbers combined.

In other words, just count up how many numbers are after the decimal point in both numbers you are multiplying, then the answer should have that many numbers after its decimal point.

Example: Multiply 0.03 by 1.1 start with: 0.03 1.1 multiply without decimal points: 3 11 = 33 0.03 has 2 decimal places, and 1.1 has 1 decimal place, so the answer has 3 decimal places: 0.033

How Does It Work? Because when you multiply without the decimal point, you are really shifting the decimal point to the right to get it out of the way: Original: 0.03 1.1 1 Move: 0.3 1.1 2 Moves: 3. 1.1 3 Moves: 3. 11.

Then we do the (now easy) multiplication: 3. 11. = 33. But remember, we did 3 Moves of the decimal point, so we need to undo that: 3 Moves: 33. 2 Moves: 3.3 1 Move: 0.33 Correct 0.033

Here are some more examples: Example: Multiply 0.25 by 0.2 start with: 0.25 0.2 multiply without decimal points: 25 2 = 50 0.25 has 2 decimal places, and 0.2 has 1 decimal place, so the answer has 3 decimal places: 0.050 Example: Multiply 102 by 0.22 start with: 102 0.22 multiply without decimal points: 102 22 = 2,244 102 has 0 decimal places, and 0.22 has 2 decimal place, so the answer has 2 decimal places: 22.44

Dividing Decimals
Dividing a Decimal Number by a Whole Number To divide a decimal number by a whole number:

Use Division or Long Division (ignoring the decimal point) Then put the decimal point in the same spot as the dividend (the number being divided)

Example: Divide 9.1 by 7 Ignore the decimal point and use Long Division: 13 7 )91 9 7 21 21 0

Put the decimal point in the answer directly above the decimal point in the dividend: 1.3 7 )9.1 The answer is 1.3 Dividing by a Decimal Number But what if you want to divide by a Decimal Number? The trick is to convert the number you are dividing by to a whole number first, by shifting the decimal point of both numbers to the right:

Now you are dividing by a whole number, and can continue as normal. It is safe to do this if you remember to shift the decimal point of both numbers the same number of places. Example: Divide 6.4 by 0.4 You are not dividing by a whole number, so you need to move the decimal point so that you are dividing by a whole number: move 1 6.4 0.4 move 1 64 4

6.4/0.4 is exactly the same as 64/4, as you moved the decimal point of both numbers.

And the answer is: 64 / 4 = 16 (Note: we didn't have to reinsert the decimal point in the answer, as 64 is a whole number.)

You can see for yourself how many 0.4s make 6.4:

Example: Divide 5.39 by 1.1 Move the decimal point so that you are dividing by a whole number: move 1 5.39 1.1 move 1 You are now dividing by a whole number, so you can proceed: Ignore the decimal point and use Long Division: 049 11 )539 5 0 53 44 99 99 0 Put the decimal point in the answer directly above the decimal point in the dividend( the answer is 4.9) 04.9 11 )53.9 53.9 11

Convert Decimals to Fractions

(Multiply top and bottom by 10 until you get a whole number, then simplify)
To convert a Decimal to a Fraction follow these steps: Step 1: Write down the decimal divided by 1, like this: decimal/1 Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom by 10 for every number after the decimal point. (For example, if there are two numbers after the decimal point, then use 100, if there are three then use 1000, etc.) Step 3: Simplify (or reduce) the fraction

Example: Express 0.75 as a fraction

Step 1: Write down 0.75 divided by 1:

0.75 1

Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom by 100 (there were 2 digits after the decimal point so that is 1010=100):
100

0.75 = 1

75 100

100

(Do you see how it turns the top number into a whole number?) Step 3: Simplify the fraction (this took me two steps):
5 5

75 = 100

15 = 20

3 4

Answer = 3/4

Note: 75/100 is called a decimal fraction and 3/4 is called a common fraction !

Example: Express 0.625 as a fraction

Step 1: write down:

0.625 1

Step 2: multiply both top and bottom by 1,000 (there were 3 digits after the decimal point so that is 101010=1,000)
625 1,000

Step 3: Simplify the fraction (it took me two steps here):

25 5

625 = 1,000

25 = 40

5 8

25

Answer = 5/8 Example: Express 0.333 as a fraction

Step 1: Write down:

0.333 1

Step 2: Multiply both top and bottom by 1,000 (there were 3 digits after the decimal point so that is 101010=1,000)
333

1,000

Step 3: Simplify Fraction:

Can't get any simpler!

Answer = 333/1,000

But a Special Note:

If you really meant 0.333... (in other words 3s repeating forever which is called 3 recurring) then we need to follow a special argument. In this case we would write down:
0.333... 1

Then MULTIPLY both top and bottom by 3:

3

0.333... = 1

0.999... 3

And 0.999... = 1 (Does it? - see the 9 Recurring discussion for more if you are interested), so:
Answer = 1/3

QUIZ
1. Add 2.372 to 14.04 A. 3.776 B. 37.76 C. 16.412 D. 16.312

QUIZ ADDITION OF DECIMALS

To multiply decimal numbers:

1. Multiply the numbers just as if they were whole numbers.
Line up the numbers on the right - do not align the decimal points. Starting on the right, multiply each digit in the top number by each digit in the bottom number, just as with whole numbers. Add the products.

2. Place the decimal point in the answer by starting at the right and moving a number of places equal
to the sum of the decimal places in both numbers multiplied.