How do you write 12/8 as a decimal?

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

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

#12/8 = 1 4/8 = 1 1/2#

Make the denominator into a power of 10.

#1 1/2 = 1 5/10 = 1.5#

Using a different denominator:

#12/8 xx 125/125 = 1500/1000 = 15/10 = 1.5#

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

As such #12/8=(3xx4)/(2xx4)=(3xxcancel4)/(2xxcancel4)=3/2#

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

If denominator has just, say #m# #2s# and #n# #5s#, multiplying numerator and denominator with #m# #5s# and #n# #2s# 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

#3/2=(3xx5)/(2xx5)=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.