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Introduction to Decimals
Introduction to Decimals — from OpenStax Prealgebra 2e.
Introduction to Decimals
Gasoline price changes all the time. They might go down for a period of time, but then they usually rise again. One thing that stays the same is that the price is not usually a whole number. Instead, it is shown using a decimal point to describe the cost in dollars and cents. We use decimal numbers all the time, especially when dealing with money. In this chapter, we will explore decimal numbers and how to perform operations using them.
Symbols used here
Both signs at once: x = 3 ± 2 means 5 and 1.
The two sides are different.
Inequalities that allow equality; < and > exclude it.
Equal to the precision shown, not exactly.
The non-negative number whose square (n-th power) is x.
What is left after dividing a by n.
Per hundred: 15% = 15/100.
a for every b; a divided by b.
Questions people ask
Why does the order of operations matter?
Because 2 + 3 × 4 would otherwise be two different numbers. The convention (brackets, exponents, multiplication and division, addition and subtraction) exists so every reader gets the same value from the same expression.
How do I check an arithmetic answer?
Estimate first (round every number and compute roughly), then compare. If the estimate and the exact answer disagree by more than a little, one of them is wrong. The solver shows every operation, so you can find which line went astray.
Why are fractions harder than decimals?
They are not harder, they are more exact: 1/3 is a precise number, 0.333 is an approximation. Fractions need a common denominator to add, which is the one extra step people trip on.
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Parts of this page are adapted from OpenStax Prealgebra 2e (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Condensed and re-explained here; errors are ours.