Happy Earth Day! Since we did not write a Math Monday blog last week, we're making up for it here. The Math Monday blog assignment for today is to name two ways we can turn a fraction into a decimal and tell which method we prefer and why.
One of the ways you can turn a fraction into a decimal is to make a proportion. This takes longer than the other method. It is also where a percentage would come in. For example, if the fraction is 2/5, you could equate it with another fraction -- 40/100. This is 40%, which can also be written as .40 or .4.
The other way that fractions can be made into decimals will probably be easier to use if the denominator of the fraction is not a factor of 100. You can divide the top number by the bottom number. If you divide 2 by 5, you'd get .4, or 4/10 of the number "1".
As for which method I prefer to use, I'd say that it depends on the context and value of the fraction. If the denominator is a factor of 100, then I'd set up a proportion, more likely. However, the second one is more applicable and easier to use in places where the denominator is prime or cannot be multiplied to get 100. The latter, though, can also be used in that context, and the former can also be applied even when a proportion could also be easily used.
In my opinion, fractions and decimals are both really easy to learn and apply to real-world situations.
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