Find Numbers Equal to 1/2: Fraction Equivalence Practice

Q: Why is 1/2 equal to 0.5 and not 0.12?

The fraction bar means division, not just placing numbers together! $ \frac{1}{2} = 1 ÷ 2 = 0.5 $. Think of it as sharing 1 whole thing between 2 people - each gets half, which is 0.5.

Q: How do I convert any fraction to a decimal?

There are two main methods: Division (divide top by bottom) or Equivalent fractions (make the denominator 10, 100, etc.). For $ \frac{1}{2} $, both give 0.5!

Q: What if the decimal doesn't end nicely?

Some fractions like $ \frac{1}{3} $ give repeating decimals (0.333...). For this problem, $ \frac{1}{2} $ gives a terminating decimal 0.5, which ends cleanly.

Q: How can I quickly recognize that 0.5 = 1/2?

Think money! 0.5 dollars = 50 cents = half a dollar. Or think pizza: 0.5 of a pizza means you ate exactly half of it. These everyday examples help you remember $ \frac{1}{2} = 0.5 $.

Fraction to Decimal Conversion with Denominators

Which number is equal to $\frac{1}{2}$ ?

❤️ Continue Your Math Journey!

We have hundreds of course questions with personalized recommendations + Account 100% premium

Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:00 Convert to decimal number

00:03 Convert the fraction to a fraction with denominator of 10

00:06 Make sure to multiply both numerator and denominator

00:13 When the denominator equals 10, the numerator is the decimal number

00:21 When dividing by 100, the decimal point moves twice to the left

00:26 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

Which number is equal to $\frac{1}{2}$ ?

Step-by-step solution

Let's multiply both the numerator and denominator by a number that will help us make the denominator 10:

$\frac{1\times5}{2\times5}=\frac{5}{10}$

Next we'll rewrite the simple fraction as a decimal fraction:

$5.0$

Since we're dividing by 10, the decimal point will move one place to the left, giving us:

$.50$

Finally we'll add the 0 before the decimal point to get:

$0.50=0.5$

Final Answer

0.5

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Rule: To convert fractions to decimals, divide numerator by denominator
Technique: Make denominator 10 or 100: $\frac{1}{2} = \frac{5}{10} = 0.5$
Check: Verify by converting back: 0.5 = 5/10 = 1/2 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Confusing decimal place values
Don't think 1/2 = 0.12 or 0.15 because you see the numbers 1 and 2! This ignores the fraction bar meaning division. Always remember that 1/2 means 1 ÷ 2 = 0.5.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Write the following fraction as a decimal:

$\frac{5}{100}=$

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why is 1/2 equal to 0.5 and not 0.12?

The fraction bar means division, not just placing numbers together! $\frac{1}{2} = 1 ÷ 2 = 0.5$ . Think of it as sharing 1 whole thing between 2 people - each gets half, which is 0.5.

How do I convert any fraction to a decimal?

There are two main methods: Division (divide top by bottom) or Equivalent fractions (make the denominator 10, 100, etc.). For $\frac{1}{2}$ , both give 0.5!

What if the decimal doesn't end nicely?

Some fractions like $\frac{1}{3}$ give repeating decimals (0.333...). For this problem, $\frac{1}{2}$ gives a terminating decimal 0.5, which ends cleanly.

How can I quickly recognize that 0.5 = 1/2?

Think money! 0.5 dollars = 50 cents = half a dollar. Or think pizza: 0.5 of a pizza means you ate exactly half of it. These everyday examples help you remember $\frac{1}{2} = 0.5$ .

Why multiply by 5 to get from 1/2 to 5/10?

We need the denominator to be 10 to easily write as a decimal. Since $2 × 5 = 10$ , we multiply both top and bottom by 5: $\frac{1×5}{2×5} = \frac{5}{10} = 0.5$ .

🌟 Unlock Your Math Potential

Get unlimited access to all 18 Decimal Fractions - Basic questions, detailed video solutions, and personalized progress tracking.

📹

Unlimited Video Solutions

Step-by-step explanations for every problem

📊

Progress Analytics

Track your mastery across all topics

🚫

Ad-Free Learning

Focus on math without distractions

No credit card required • Cancel anytime