How can 3.6 be expressed as a fraction?

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To convert the decimal 3.6 into a fraction, follow these steps:

  1. Identify the Decimal Place: The number 3.6 has one decimal place.
  2. Convert to Fraction: To remove the decimal, consider 3.6 as 36 tenths. This is because there is one digit after the decimal point, which represents tenths. Thus, we can write:

    3. 3.6 = 36/10

  3. Simplify the Fraction: Now, we need to simplify 36/10. To do this, find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of the numerator (36) and the denominator (10).

    4. The GCD of 36 and 10 is 2.

    Now divide both the numerator and the denominator by the GCD:

    36 ÷ 2 = 18

    10 ÷ 2 = 5

    So, the simplified fraction is:

    3.6 = 18/5

  4. Convert to Mixed Number (Optional): If you want to express this improper fraction as a mixed number, divide 18 by 5. This means:

    5. 18 ÷ 5 = 3 with a remainder of 3.

    This gives us:

    3 3/5

In conclusion, 3.6 can be expressed as the fraction 18/5 or as the mixed number 3 3/5.

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