Question

How do you write \[\dfrac{{ - 5}}{8}\] as a decimal?

Answer 1

Hint: Decimals are one of the types of numbers, which have a whole number and the fractional part separated by a decimal point. To convert a fraction to a decimal, we divide the numerator by the denominator and if we have a mixed number, the whole number stays to the left of the decimal.

Complete step by step answer:
Let us write the given data:
\[\dfrac{{ - 5}}{8}\]
We need to write the given number \[\dfrac{{ - 5}}{8}\] in decimal form as, we know that
\[\dfrac{{ - 5}}{8}\] is same as \[ - 5 \div 8\],
Hence, using long division for \[ - 5\] divided by \[8\] and rounding to a maximum of three decimal places we get:
\[8\mathop{\left){\vphantom{1{ - 5}}}\right.
\!\!\!\!\overline{\,\,\,\vphantom 1{{ - 5}}}}
\limits^{\displaystyle \,\,\, { - 0.625}}\]
\[ \Rightarrow \dfrac{{ - 5}}{8} = - 0.625\]
Therefore,
\[\dfrac{{ - 5}}{8}\] in decimal form the value is \[ - 0.625\].

Note: The key point to note is that, to convert the fraction to the decimal, simply divide the numerator by denominator. If a decimal fraction is multiplied by \[1\], the product is the decimal fraction itself.