# How do you write 2/5 as decimal?

Oct 20, 2016

We can write this as a decimal by making the denominator $10$.
It is $0.4$.

#### Explanation:

The easiest way to write this as a decimal is to multiply it until the denominator is $10$. As decimals are written in a tens system (with a tenths, hundredths, thousandths, etc. place), fractions with a denominator of $10$ can easily be written as decimals.

The way to make the denominator ten is to multiply both the top and bottom by $\frac{10}{\text{the bottom number}}$. In this case:

$\left(\frac{2}{5}\right) \cdot \left(\frac{\frac{10}{5}}{\frac{10}{5}}\right)$

$\left(\frac{2}{5}\right) \cdot \left(\frac{2}{2}\right)$

To simplify, we can multiply the two numerators and the two denominators.

$\frac{2 \cdot 2}{5 \cdot 2}$

When we simplify, we get:

$\frac{4}{10}$

This, in words, is four tenths. Therefore, we put $4$ in the tenths place of the decimal.

In decimal form, this is $0.4$.

Feb 17, 2018

$\frac{2}{5} = \frac{4}{10} = 0.4$

#### Explanation:

Decimals are way of writing fractions which have a power of $10$ in the denominator. They will be $10 , 100 , 1000 , 10 , 000$ ,and so on.

In $\frac{2}{5}$ make the denominator $10$

$\frac{2}{5} \times \textcolor{b l u e}{\frac{2}{2}} = \frac{2 \times 2}{5 \times 2} = \frac{4}{10} = 0.4$

Note that $\textcolor{b l u e}{\frac{2}{2}} = 1$ and multiplying any number by $1$ does not change its value.

However, some fractions have denominators which cannot be made into a power of $10$.

In that case, divide the numerator by the denominator to get a decimal.

$\frac{2}{5} = 2 \div 5 = 0.4$

Jul 20, 2018

$0.4$

#### Explanation:

Using long division:-

$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\ldots} \textcolor{w h i t e}{.} \underline{0.4}$
$5 | 2$
$\textcolor{w h i t e}{\ldots .} \underline{2}$