Question

Calculators cannot display repeating decimals. Calculators always round. Yuri's calculator displays decimals to 5 places. He uses his calculator to find the decimal equivalent for each of the fractions below. For each number, choose what his calculator will display as the decimal equivalent. Then choose whether or not this is the exact decimal equivalent.

1/9
Calculator display for 1/9:

Is this the exact decimal equivalent?

7/9
Calculator display for 7/9:

Is this the exact decimal equivalent?

9/10
Calculator display for 9/10:

Is this the exact decimal equivalent?

Answer 1

1/9 = 0.111111111..., No

7/9 = 0.777777...8, No

9/10 = 0.9, Yes

Dividing by a non-factor of 9 by 9 will always result in an infinite decimal, similar to dividing a non-factor of 3 by 3 or a non-factor of 7 by 7.

However, dividing a number by 10 will simply move the decimal one value to the right, so 9.0 divided by 10 is 0.90.