Expressing 0.4 as a Common Fraction in Simplest Form
In mathematics, decimal numbers can be expressed as fractions, and in this article, we will explore how to express 0.4 as a common fraction in its simplest form.
What is a Common Fraction?
A common fraction, also known as a simple fraction, is a fraction that has an integer numerator and a positive integer denominator. For example, 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4 are all common fractions.
Converting 0.4 to a Fraction
To convert 0.4 to a fraction, we can use the following steps:
- Divide 0.4 by 1, which gives us 0.4/1.
- Multiply both the numerator and denominator by 10 to get rid of the decimal point, resulting in 4/10.
Simplifying the Fraction
Now that we have the fraction 4/10, we can simplify it by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD). The GCD of 4 and 10 is 2, so we divide both numbers by 2 to get:
4 ÷ 2 = 2 10 ÷ 2 = 5
This gives us the simplified fraction:
2/5
Therefore, 0.4 can be expressed as a common fraction in its simplest form as 2/5.
