Probability: Background You’ll Need 1

  • Convert fractions to decimals and percentages.

Converting Between Fractions and Decimals

Fractions to Decimals

A fraction bar indicates division.

[latex]{\dfrac{7}{12}}[/latex] is equivalent to [latex]7\div 12[/latex]

This means that we can convert a fraction to a decimal by treating it as a division problem.

[latex]\dfrac{7}{12} = 7 ÷ 12 = 0.58333\ldots[/latex]

Sometimes we will need to round:

Tenths one decimal place [latex]0.6[/latex]
Hundredths two decimal places [latex]0.58[/latex]
Thousandths three decimal places [latex]0.583[/latex]

Decimals to Percentages

To rewrite a decimal to a percentage, move the decimal over two places to the right and write it with the percent symbol ([latex]\%[/latex]).

This act is the exact same as multiplying by [latex]100[/latex].

[latex]0.58333 = 58.333\%[/latex]