How to Change a Decimal to a Fraction on a Calculator

How to Change a Decimal to a Fraction on a Calculator thumbnail
Calculating with a scientific calculator is easy.

Changing a fraction to a decimal on a calculator is simple. It only requires dividing the fraction's top number by the bottom number. Changing the decimal to a fraction on a calculator is more complicated. It requires a scientific calculator, which has more functions than the basic calculator, and choosing the appropriate buttons for proper conversion.

Things You'll Need

  • Scientific calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Type in all of the numbers after the decimal point. Shortening the decimal will result in an inaccurate answer, so the entire decimal should be entered. Since the ultimate result is the fraction in the smallest common denominator, leaving out a single number after the decimal point can result in the wrong fraction. For example, the number is 0.34234, then all five numbers need to be typed and it should not be shortened to 0.34.

    • 2

      Press the "Math" key. The "Math" key will give a variety of options to choose from, such as "Frac" for fraction.

    • 3

      Press the number that indicates fraction. This will tell the calculator to convert the decimal into a fractional form. The number to press will sometimes vary on the calculator, though most calculators will use the number 1 to indicate fraction. The menu will say the number followed by the shortened "Frac" to tell the calculator what the decimal is being converted to.

    • 4

      Hit the enter key. Hitting enter tells the calculator that it should display the answer in the lowest common denominator. The displayed fraction will be the smallest number possible. For example, a fraction of 34 out of 35 would be displayed as 34/35.

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References

  • Photo Credit calculator image by Szymon Apanowicz from Fotolia.com

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