Numbers can be expressed in different forms. Here are the main ways of writing numbers.
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Fractional notation (fractions and mixed numbers)
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Decimal notation
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Percentage
It is important to understand how to convert one type of notation to another in order to perform certain operations, compare and order numbers, or express numbers in more appropriate forms. The following concept sheets outline several methods for converting one type of notation to another.
Different forms of the same number are equivalent. The notation used to express a number does not affect its value.
Each row in the table below represents a number written in different equivalent forms.
| Fraction | Nombre fractionnaire | Notation décimale | Pourcentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| |\dfrac{1}{2}| | |\dfrac{1}{2}| | |0.5| | |50\ \%| |
| |\dfrac{5}{4}| | |1\dfrac{1}{4}| | |1{,}25| | |125\ \%| |
| |\dfrac{7}{3}| | |2\dfrac{1}{3}| | |2.\overline{3}| | |233.\overline{3}\ \%| |
| |\dfrac{4}{1}| | |4| | |4| | |400\ \%| |
There are other ways of writing numbers as well. For example, scientific notation allows us to represent very large numbers and very small numbers effectively.