What does the decimal number 3.5 equal?

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When written as a fraction in its simplest form, what does the decimal number 3.5 equal?

Final Answer:

The decimal 3.5 can be expressed as a fraction in its simplest form, which is \frac{7}{2}. This is done by converting the decimal part into a fraction and adding it to the whole number part. Therefore, 3.5 equals \frac{7}{2}.

Explanation:

To convert the decimal number 3.5 into a fraction in its simplest form, we follow these steps:

Understand the Components: The decimal number 3.5 consists of a whole number part (3) and a decimal part (0.5).

Convert the Decimal Part: We need to convert the decimal part 0.5 into a fraction. The decimal 0.5 is equivalent to
\frac{1}{2}.

Combine the Parts: Now we can write the entire decimal number 3.5 as the sum of the whole number and the fraction:

3.5=3+0.5=3+\frac{1}{2}

​Express as a Single Fraction: To combine these two, we convert 3 into a fraction with a denominator of 2. This means we can write 3 as
\frac{6}{2} since 3= \frac{6}{2}.

Add the Fractions: Now we can add
\frac{6}{2} and \frac{1}{2}
​
\frac{6}{2}+\frac{1}{2}=\frac{7}{2}
​Thus, when 3.5 is written as a fraction in its simplest form, it equals \frac{7}{2}

Examples & Evidence:

For example, the decimal 1.25 can be converted to a fraction by breaking it down into 1 and 0.25, which is \frac{1}{4}. When combined, 1.25 becomes \frac{5}{4}. Similarly, understanding the method will help with other decimal conversions.

To verify this, you can convert \frac{7}{2} back into a decimal by dividing 7 by 2, which results in 3.5, confirming that our conversion is correct.

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