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Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Your notes

International Maths: Extended
Converting Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
Contents
Converting Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
Recurring Decimals
Ordering Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

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Converting Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

Your notes
FDP Conversions
How do I convert from a percentage to a decimal?
Divide by 100 (move digits two places to the right)
6% as a decimal is 6 ÷ 100 = 0.06
40% as a decimal is 40 ÷ 100 = 0.4
350% as a decimal is 350 ÷ 100 = 3.5
0.2% as a decimal is 0.2 ÷ 100 = 0.002

How do I convert from a decimal to a percentage?

Multiply by 100 (move digits two places to the left and add a % sign)
0.35 as a percentage is 0.35 × 100 = 35%
1.32 as a percentage is 1.32 × 100 = 132%
0.004 as a percentage is 0.004 × 100 = 0.4%

How do I convert from a decimal to a fraction?

If it has one decimal place, write the digits over 10

3
0.3 is
10
11
1.1 is
10
If it has two decimal places, write the digits over 100

7
0.07 is
100
13
0.13 is
100

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3001
30.01 is
100 Your notes
If it has n decimal places, write the digits over 10n

513
0.513 is
1000
7
0.0007 is
10 000
Learn simple recurring decimals as fractions

. 1
0.33333… = 0 . 3 is
3
. 2
0.66666… = 0 . 6 is
3
Whole numbers can be written as fractions by writing them over 1

5
5 is
1
How do I convert from a percentage to a fraction?
Write the percentage over 100

37
37% is
100

How do I convert from a fraction to a decimal?

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Your notes

Fractions written over powers of 10 are quicker

3 6
= which is 0.6
5 10
7 35
= which is 0.35
20 100
1 2
= which is 0.002
500 1000

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How do I convert from a fraction to a percentage?

Change fractions into decimals then multiply by 100 Your notes

4 8
= which is 0.8 as a decimal, which is 0.8 × 100 = 80%
5 10

Examiner Tips and Tricks

A calculator can be used to check conversions between fractions and decimals (even if the
question says to show working without a calculator)

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Recurring Decimals
Your notes
Recurring Decimals
What are recurring decimals?
When writing a rational number as a decimal, it will either be:
A decimal that stops, called a "terminating" decimal

1
= 0 . 25
4
Or a decimal that repeats with a pattern, called a "recurring" decimal

32
= 0 . 32323232. . .
99
The recurring part can be written with a dot above the digit that repeats
If multiple digits repeat, dots are used on the first and last digits that repeat
.
0 . 3333. . . = 0 . 3
. .
0 . 121212. . . = 0 . 12
. .
0 . 325632563256. . . = 0 . 3256

How do I write recurring decimals as fractions?

Write out the first few decimal places to show the recurring pattern and then:
STEP 1
Write the recurring decimal as x = . . .

x = 0 . 35353535. . .
STEP 2
Multiply both sides by 10 repeatedly until two lines have the same recurring decimal part

x = 0 . 35353535. . .
10x = 3 . 5353535 . . .
100x = 35. 353535. . .
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Note that x and 100x have 35 repeating after the decimal point, the repeating pattern after 10x
is 53 repeating
STEP 3 Your notes
Subtract the two lines which have matching recurring decimal parts

100x − x = 35. 353535. . . − 0 . 35353535. . .

99x = 35
STEP 4
Divide both sides to get x = . . .
Cancel if necessary to get fraction in its lowest terms

35
x=
99

Worked Example
. .
Write 0 . 307 as a fraction in its lowest terms.

Write as x = . . . to show the pattern

x = 0 . 307307307307. . .
Multiply both sides by 10 repeatedly until two lines have the same recurring decimal part

10x = 3 . 07307307307 . . .
100x = 30. 730730730 . . .
1000x = 307 . 307307307 . . .
Notice that x and 1000x have matching recurring decimal parts

Subtract one from the other

1000x − x = 307 . 307307307 . . . − 0 . 307307307 . . .

999x = 307
Divide both sides by 999

307
x=
999

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This cannot be simplified, so this is the final answer

307 Your notes

999

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Ordering Fractions, Decimals & Percentages

Your notes
Ordering FDP
How do I put fractions in order of size?
When comparing only fractions, write them over a lowest common denominator

3 1 13 7
For , , , , the lowest common denominator is 60
5 2 20 12
36 30 39 35
So change them to , , , and then order them by their numerators
60 60 60 60
30 35 36 39
From smallest to largest: , , ,
60 60 60 60
1 7 3 13
Rewrite in their original form: , , ,
2 12 5 20

How do I put fractions, decimals and percentages in order of

size?
When comparing a mixture of fractions, decimals and percentages, change everything into decimals

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Your notes

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Your notes

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Your notes

Which symbols can I use?

Rather than just listing values in order, symbols can be used to compare them

1 1 1
For example, < <
4 3 2
Recall that > means greater than and ≥ means greater than or equal to

Similarly, < means less than and ≤ means less than or equal to

You may also see = and ≠ (which means "not equal to")

Examiner Tips and Tricks

A calculator can be used to quickly convert any quantities into decimals.
E.g. A fraction can be entered as a division.

Worked Example

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Without use of a calculator, write these numbers in order, starting with the smallest.

1 2 9 4 Your notes
3 5 25 15
As they are all fractions, write them with a common denominator
The lowest common denominator is be 75
Rewrite each fraction with a denominator of 75

1 25 2 30 9 27 4 20
= = = =
3 75 5 75 25 75 15 75
Compare and write in order from smallest to largest

20 25 27 30
, , ,
75 75 75 75
Rewrite in their original form

4 , 1, 9 , 2
15 3 25 5

Worked Example
Without use of a calculator, write these numbers in the spaces below.

7 5
0 . 8 78%
8 6
..... < ..... < ..... < .....
As there is a mixture of fractions, decimals, and percentages, rewrite each as a decimal
0.8 is already a decimal
Convert 78% to a decimal by dividing by 100

78% = 0 . 78
7
Convert to a decimal by either using short division, or halving three times
8

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7 ÷ 2 = 3.5
3 . 5 ÷ 2 = 1 . 75 Your notes
1 . 75 ÷ 2 = 0 . 875
7
so = 0 . 875
8
5
Convert to a decimal by using short division
6
0.833...
6 522
5.000...
5 .
so = 0 . 8333. . . = 0 . 83
6
Write them all with 3 decimal places to determine the order

0 . 875
0 . 833
0 . 800
0 . 780
Rewrite the decimals in order
.
0 . 78, 0 . 8, 0 . 83, 0 . 875
Rewrite in their original form, and recall that < means "less than", so the smallest value will be first

78% < 0 . 8 < 56 < 78

If a calculator was allowed for this question, it could be used to find 7 ÷ 8 and 5 ÷ 6 more easily

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