A Simple Guide To Decimals

What Is a Decimal?
A decimal is a special kind of fraction. You use decimals every day when you deal with money$10.35 is a decimal that represents 10 dollars and 35 cents. The decimal point separates the dollars from the cents. Because there are 100 cents in one dollar, 1¢ is 1/100 of a dollar, or $.01.

Each decimal digit to the right of the decimal point has a name:
.1 = 1 tenth = 1/10
.02 = 2 hundredths = 2/100
.003 = 3 thousandths = 3/1000
.0004 = 4 ten-thousandths = 4/10,000

When you add zeroes after the rightmost decimal place, you don't change the value of the decimal.

For example, 6.17 is the same as all of these:

6.170

6.1700

6.17000000000000000

If there are digits on both sides of the decimal point (like 10.35), the number is called a mixed decimal. If there are digits only to the right of the decimal point (like .53), the number is called a decimal. A whole number (like 15) is understood to have a decimal point at its right (15.). Thus, 15 is the same as 15.0, 15.00, 15.000, and so on.