Decimals

Decimals help you understand numbers that are smaller than 1 whole. You see decimals when you work with money, measure length, weight, or read prices at a shop. A decimal shows parts of a whole by using a dot called a decimal point. The digits to the right of the decimal point show parts like tenths and hundredths.

Decimals are very useful when you want to be exact. For example you might want to know exactly how much something costs or exactly how long or heavy something is. Decimals let you write these numbers in a simple way.

A decimal has two parts. The part before the decimal point shows the whole number. The part after the decimal point shows the part of the whole. If you write 0.5 it means five tenths. If you write 1.25 it means one whole plus twenty five hundredths.

When you count money you use decimals all the time. If you buy a snack that costs 1.50 you can write it as 1.50. If you measure something and say it is 3.5 centimeters long you are using decimals to show that it is more than 3 but not quite 4.

Decimals help you read and write numbers exactly. They are used when you buy things, measure objects, bake or cook with recipes, weigh items, and even when you read sports scores and data. Understanding decimals makes you confident when you need to work with small parts and add or subtract them correctly.

You read decimals by saying the whole number first then reading the decimal point as point then reading the digits after the point. For example 1.5 means one and five tenths. 0.7 means seven tenths. 2.05 means two and five hundredths because the zero shows there are no tenths but you have five hundredths.

When you see money decimals are easy to spot. Fifty cents is written as 0.50 dollars. Two dollars and twenty five cents is written as 2.25 dollars.

Imagine you have 5 dollars and you buy a sandwich that costs 2.75. You need to subtract 2.75 from 5.00 to know how much money you have left. Or you measure a pencil that is 9.5 centimeters long. You know that means it is 9 centimeters plus half a centimeter more.

When you go shopping you see decimals on every price tag. Knowing how to add and subtract decimals helps you keep track of how much you spend and how much change you should get back.