Can you have decimals in fractions?

[agnitrate]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
Here is my question

It just says "Write as a Fraction." Doesn't say "Write as a Proper Fraction."
-- mrcodedude

Your math problem is "write as a fraction"? Are you in 3rd grade?

It's a repeating decimal and this is Pre-Calc / Trig.
-- mrcodedude

That's pretty pointless as it's not trig and you'll never have to use that in a calculus class.

It's not pointless at all. This entire problem is about geometric series and its applications, a huge deal in calculus. That's why he had the fraction

.36 / ( 1 - .01 ) = a / (1 - r )

Geometric series are the basic foundation for all series in calculus. Not pointless at all.

-silver

 

[BennyD]

it's not a fraction if it contains decimal

you cannot say "one point three four point fifths"

but you can say "one point three over four point five"

 

[Dudd]

Originally posted by: gopunk

Originally posted by: dighn
definitely not proper

but in higher level maths they won't give a crap

exactly. this is what i intensely dislike about elementary, middle, and high schools... they get all anal over stuff that doesn't even matter.

Well, I'm guessing that you think that way because you are a fairly intelligent person. You get everything that they teach you in school, and the few things that you don't get, you work at it and figure it out on your own. The problem with our educational system is that it's dumbed down for the lowest common denominator (how's that for a pun in a decimal thread ). I'm tutoring fourth graders for a community service project, and a lot of these kids can't add without counting on their fingers, they can barely multiply if at all, and forget about dividing. However, we have all these classes for those that are too slow and stupid, yet for the top people, they do the same crap over and over. I'm taking Calc AB my senior year of HS, and I'm barely challeneged at all. I've yet to crack open my book out of class, and I had a mid 90 average throughout the first semester. If I just hadn't had to do the same repetitive crap through my first 9 years of schooling, I'd be so much further ahead right now. I mean, I took what was supposed to be Algebra I in 8th grade, and they didn't even teach the quadratic formula. Quite frankly, I can't wait to get to college next year where I'll actually be able to finally learn something that has some practical use.