Is 0.12 greater than 0.090

Answer 1

Remember that in decimal numbers like the ones you have shown, there are two parts. The whole number part (before the decimal point) and the decimal part (after the decimal point). Leading zeros in the whole number part are not siginificant and can be omitted. The reason you have a zero before the decimal point in 0.12 is for clarity (so that one does not miss a poorly wriiten decimal point). It could have been written as .12, however trailing zeros in the whole number part are very significant. We will use the 0 in front of the decimal point as it is aesthetically preferable. In contrast, leading zeros after the decimal point are very significant but trailing zeros are not. Hence 0.090 could be written as 0.09 wihtout affecting its value. Hence the numbers we have to compare are 0.12 and 0.09 which really represent 12/100 and 9/100 and so 0.12 is greater than 0.09 or 0.090