Understanding Decimals

A decimal is a way of representing a part of a whole number. It is a number written with a decimal point to separate the whole number from its fractional part. In a decimal number, each place value after the decimal point corresponds to a power of 10.

Structure of Decimal Number

For example, in the decimal number 3.75, the digit '3' represents the whole number part, '7' represents the tenths, and '5' represents the hundredths. Each digit's position to the right of the decimal point indicates a negative power of 10. So, in 3.75, the '7' is in the tenths place, which corresponds to 10^-1, and '5' is in the hundredths place, which corresponds to 10^-2.

Uses of Decimals

Decimals are used in various real-life situations, such as measuring length, weight, or money. They provide a way to represent values that fall between whole numbers. Decimals are also essential in mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Understanding decimals is crucial in everyday life and in advanced mathematical concepts, making them a fundamental part of the number system.