Question

Is 3/8 a terminating number

Answer 1

Yes 3/8 is a terminating number

Answer 2

Answer: Yes, 3/8 is a terminating number

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Explanation:

Using a calculator,

3/8 = 0.375

The decimal stops and does not go on forever. So it is terminating.

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One way to be able to tell that it terminates is to look at the denominator 8, which factors to 2*2*2 or 2^3. The prime factor 2 indicates that the decimal will terminate. The rule is that if the denominator is factored into 2's or 5's only, then the decimal will terminate.

Examples:

1/5 = 0.2,   4/10 = 0.4,   5/8 = 0.625

Some non-examples would be

1/3 = 0.333333...

5/6 = 0.83333....

2/7 = 0.285714...

Each denominator of these non-terminating fractions do not have solely 2's or 5's as part of the factorizations.