Fraction vs. Decimal

Date: 08/29/97 at 23:30:06
From: Ed and Joyce Gallo
Subject: Fraction vs. decimal

What is the difference between 1/2 and 0.50?

Date: 08/30/97 at 09:30:56
From: Doctor Jerry
Subject: Re: Fraction vs. decimal

Hi Ed and Joyce,

Since 0.5 (or 0.50 or 0.500 or 0.5000 or ... or 0.499999...) are 
decimal equivalents of 1/2, the difference between 1/2 and any of them 
is 0.  

Although there are some who will wish to quarrel with this statement, 
particularly with the difference between 1/2 and 0.499999..., it is 
not a controversial statement within mathematics.

-Doctor Jerry,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/