What Are Decimals?

Decimals are a way of showing numbers that are between whole numbers. They help us express values that are not whole, like when we measure things or use money.

Understanding the Basics

Imagine you have a pizza that is cut into 10 equal slices. If you eat 3 slices, you've eaten 3 out of 10 slices. We can write that as a fraction: 3/10. But we can also write it as a decimal: 0.3. The number before the decimal point shows how many whole pizzas you have (in this case, 0), and the number after the decimal shows how many slices out of 10 you have eaten.

How Decimals Work

Each place after the decimal point represents a part of ten. Here’s how it looks:

  • 0.1 means 1 out of 10.
  • 0.2 means 2 out of 10 or 1 out of 5.
  • 0.3 means 3 out of 10.
  • 0.4 means 4 out of 10.
  • 0.5 means 5 out of 10 or 1 out of 2.
  • 0.6 means 6 out of 10.
  • 0.7 means 7 out of 10.
  • 0.8 means 8 out of 10.
  • 0.9 means 9 out of 10.

Why Are Decimals Important?

Decimals are very useful! For example, when you are shopping and see prices like $1.50 or $2.99, those are decimals. They tell us exactly how much money we need to spend. Decimals help us describe things like:

  • Measurements: Like 5.5 cm or 3.2 liters.
  • Money: Like $4.75.

Conclusion

Decimals help us understand and communicate more precisely. They are everywhere in our daily lives from shopping to measuring things! Now you know what decimals are and how they work. Keep practicing, and you'll become a decimal expert in no time!


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