Turning Decimals Into Fractions
Sat, 09/19/2009 - 21:20
Is there a way to easily turn an answer into a simplified fraction from a decimal?
1 - 4/5 + 2/7 = 0.48571428571428571428571428571429
35/35 - 28/35 + 10/35 = 17/35 <------ THIS IS THE ANSWER I'M TRYING TO GET
On the Pi Cubed App I can only get the answer in decimal form = 0.48571428571428571428571428571429
Can anybody please explain how to use this application to do that?
THANKS
Sun, 09/20/2009 - 18:18
#2
thanks
I have another question....
When I solve a problem and get an answer, how do I use that answer to start a new problem?
besides deleting the problem and re-entering the answer - is there an easier way? like copy & paste?
Sun, 09/20/2009 - 18:54
#3
Normally you could approach the conversion of a decimal into a fraction in that way, but the fractions you specified above include 1/7, which can't be expressed well using base 10 math. The decimal result has an infinite number of repeating digits.
I round off the answer based on the maximum precision of the operations involved, in this case to 32 digits. Because the result has been rounded, even if you simplified it down it would not produce the correct fractional result, merely an approximation.
Your best bet is to perform the arithmetic in the manner shown in your first question: finding the lowest common denominator for the fractions you are adding, converting the numerators to match, adding the numerators, and then simplifying the resulting fraction. I'd like to be able to provide this for you in software, but as you can see it's not an easy thing to calculate (particularly when dealing with more complex operations).
Sun, 09/20/2009 - 18:55
#4
thanks
I have another question....
When I solve a problem and get an answer, how do I use that answer to start a new problem?
besides deleting the problem and re-entering the answer - is there an easier way? like copy & paste?
Right now, there's no easy way to do this. I'm working on a solution using copy-and-paste that I hope to have in one of the next updates.
Sun, 09/20/2009 - 19:06
#5
your awesome!!!!
this app is making my class run soooo much smoother, and it is way easier to use than a $100 calculator
I can't wait for the new updates!
Unfortunately, there's currently no way to simplify a result into a non-decimal expression. It may be a little while before this capability is in the application.
I'm sorry that I can't provide you a better answer.