A girl measures a colorful ribbon with a long tape at a craft table

Decimal Detectives

Priya's ribbon measures 0.62 meters. What does that mysterious number really mean? Let's crack the code!

4th Grade Math

Step 1: Meet the Tenths

Priya cuts a paper bar into 10 equal parts and shades 6 of them. The shaded amount is the fraction 6/10 — six tenths. Which decimal matches 6/10?

6/10 means six tenths. The first place after the point is the tenths place, so we write 0.6.

Step 2: Hello, Hundredths

Now Priya shades 62 squares on a grid of 100. Shaded squares out of 100 are called hundredths. Which decimal shows 62/100?

62/100 is 62 hundredths. That is 6 tenths and 2 hundredths, so we write 0.62 — the length of Priya's ribbon!

Let's Remember

Place Value Power

          The first spot after the
          decimal point
          shows tenths.

          The second spot shows hundredths.

          So a decimal
          like 0.62 means 62/100.
        

0.62 = 62/100

Step 3: Find It on the Number Line

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0.1

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Look at the two orange tick marks. 0.62 has 6 tenths plus 2 extra hundredths. Between which two numbers does 0.62 belong?

0.62 is 6 tenths and 2 more hundredths. It sits just past 0.6 and before 0.7.

Watch Out!

Priya says: Zeros change everything! 0.7 means 7 tenths, or 7/10. But 0.07 means 7 hundredths, or 7/100 — much smaller! Check which place the digit sits in before you write your fraction. The denominator tells the truth: tenths need 10, hundredths need 100.

0.7 = 7/10 0.07 = 7/100

Solve It!

7/10 = ?

7/10 is seven tenths. Put the 7 in the tenths place: 0.7.

Word Problem

A caterpillar crawled 0.45 meters across Priya's craft table. Which fraction is equal to 0.45?

0.45 has digits in the tenths and hundredths places. That means 45 hundredths: 45/100.

What Goes in the Blank?

9/100 = ?

9/100 is 9 hundredths. The tenths place gets a 0, and the 9 goes in the hundredths place: 0.09.

Name That Tick

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0.1

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The orange tick marks a spot on the line. Which fraction names that spot?

The tick sits at 0.4, which is four tenths. As a fraction, 0.4 = 4/10, which also equals 40/100.

Same Amount, New Name

An equivalent fraction names the same amount in a different way. Which fraction with a denominator of 100 equals 0.5?

0.5 = 5/10. Every tenth holds 10 hundredths, so 5/10 = 50/100. Both name the same amount.

Challenge!

Priya tapes two ribbons together. One is 6/10 meter long. The other is 25/100 meter long. How long is the whole ribbon, written as a decimal?

First rename: 6/10 = 60/100. Then add: 60/100 + 25/100 = 85/100 = 0.85 meter.

Where do you see decimals in real life — money, sports, measuring? How could you rewrite one of them as a fraction?

Great Work!

0/9

correct

decimal fraction tenths hundredths denominator equivalent fraction