How do you convert -5.9 into a fraction?

Answer 1

Converting a negative number like -5.9 is just as easy to convert into a fraction as a positive one.

In the above example, one can notice that the decimal point (in the United States) incidates that what comes after it will be less than one - that is to say, in essence, fractions of a whole number. The "9" is in the tenths place, which indicates "nine out of ten." If there was a one after the 9, then that would indicate "91 out of 100" and so on.

We can use the nine out of ten to make a fraction: 9/10.

But what about the 5 before the decimal point. We can still use the number ten as a reference point via the denominator (the bottom part of the fraction, aka ten in this case). A whole fraction, where the numerator/top = the denominator/bottom, would be 10/10. This would be the number one. How do we get to 5? We multiply the numerator by 5, giving us 50/10.

Add 50/10 + 9/10 - the numerators only, as the denominators are the same, we get 59/10. Bring back the negative symbol and you get -59/10. Hope this helps!