# How do you write 12/8 as a decimal?

##### 2 Answers
Nov 24, 2016

$\frac{12}{8} = 1.5$

#### Explanation:

You can do this by just dividing: $12 \div 8 = 1.5$

You could also use fractions and equivalent fractions to find the decimal.

$\frac{12}{8} = 1 \frac{4}{8} = 1 \frac{1}{2}$

Make the denominator into a power of 10.

$1 \frac{1}{2} = 1 \frac{5}{10} = 1.5$

Using a different denominator:

$\frac{12}{8} \times \frac{125}{125} = \frac{1500}{1000} = \frac{15}{10} = 1.5$

Nov 24, 2016

$\frac{12}{8} = 1.5$

#### Explanation:

To convert a fraction into decimal, we should first reduce to its lowest term

As such $\frac{12}{8} = \frac{3 \times 4}{2 \times 4} = \frac{3 \times \cancel{4}}{2 \times \cancel{4}} = \frac{3}{2}$

In second step check the prime factors of denominator - whether they comprise of $2 s$ and $5 s$ or there are some other prime factors too.

If denominator has just, say $m$ $2 s$ and $n$ $5 s$, multiplying numerator and denominator with $m$ $5 s$ and $n$ $2 s$ will make denominator a power of $10$ and then easy to convert it to decimal fraction.

Here as the denominator is just $2$, we multiply numerator and denominator by $5$ and we get

$\frac{3}{2} = \frac{3 \times 5}{2 \times 5} = \frac{15}{10} = 1.5$

Note: if we have prime factors of denominator other than two and $5$, we will have to carry out long division and result will be a repeating decimal.