# Math Help - Decimal into a fraction

1. ## Decimal into a fraction

How can you transform a decimal such as $2,345345345...$ as a fraction?

2. $2,345345345\ldots=2,(345)=2+\frac{345}{999}$
and you continue...

3. Why not $2,345345345\ldots=2+\frac{345}{1000}$ ?

4. Originally Posted by p.numminen
Why not $2,345345345\ldots=2+\frac{345}{1000}$ ?
for the obvious reason, $2 + \frac {345}{1000} = 2.345$, the decimal ends there, it does not repeat. you need 999 as the denominator to get the repeating decimal

a simpler way, very common trick, i see it around here all the time...

let $x = 2.\overline{345}$ ..................................(1)

$\Rightarrow 1000x = 2345. \overline{345}$ .......................(2)

subtracting equation (1) from (2), we see that:

$1000x - x = 2345. \overline{345} - 2. \overline{345}$

$\Rightarrow 999x = 2343$

$\Rightarrow x = \frac {2343}{999}$

5. Because your number isn't finite. $\frac{345}{1000}$ would just give you $2.345$.

6. Originally Posted by p.numminen
How can you transform a decimal such as $2,345345345...$ as a fraction?
hello,

to show you where red_dog got the denominator from I'll use the following method.

Let x = 2.345345345... that means there are 3 digits which are repeated immidiately. Therefore you have to multiply your number by 10³. Now you have

$\boxed{\begin{array}{lcr}1000x&=&2345.345345345... \\ x&=&2.345345345...\end{array}}$

Subtract and you have

$999x = 2343~\iff~x = \frac{2343}{999}$