Last Night I was helping my 12 year old daughter Trinity with her schoolwork that I printed out for her.
She was supposed to convert decimals to fractions.
Sounds easy enough right?
Follow these examples:
Note the following pattern for repeating decimals:
0.22222222… = 2/9
0.54545454… = 54/99
0.298298298… = 298/999
Division by 9’s causes the repeating pattern.
Note the pattern if zeros precede the repeating decimal:
0.022222222… = 2/90
0.00054545454… = 54/99000
0.00298298298… = 298/99900
Adding zero’s to the denominator adds zero’s before the repeating decimal.
To convert a decimal that begins with a non-repeating part, such as 0.21456456456456456…, to a fraction, write it as the sum of the non-repeating part and the repeating part.
0.21 + 0.00456456456456456…
Next, convert each of these decimals to fractions. The first decimal has a divisor of power ten. The second decimal (which repeats) is converted according to the pattern given above.
21/100 + 456/99900
Now add these fraction by expressing both with a common divisor
20979/99900 + 456/99900
and add.
21435/99900
Finally simplify it to lowest terms
1429/6660
and check on your calculator or with long division.
= 0.2145645645…
Well let’s say I tore up that worksheet
and through it in the trash
and at that point my daughter announces,
“You Are The Best Teacher Ever .”
I don’t know about you…
… the only time I really had to do these types of problems
was when I was teaching it to my children
so they could pass some state test.
So I said Screw it! (You can do that when you home school.)
I choose to teach my children things they Really need to know to make it in the real world.
Like computer coding.
Marketing skills.
How to read music.
Reading not only books they enjoy and can’t put down
but also books like “Think and Grow Rich”, the “Secret” and “Happy Pocket”
What about you?
Are you learning what “Society” says you need to learn?
to get at degree
to get a job
that you will have someone else
telling you what you are worth,
and when you can go on vacation…
Is this how you really want to live your life?
If you want more,
If you want to travel the world
And live your dream life!
You are worth it!
Catch the waves and Succeed.
Donel Rourke