What is the difference between 500 thousandths and 5 tenths. I thought you could drop extra zeros to the right of the decimal? .500 vs .5
The numerical values are the same, but
.500 tells me that something was measured to the nearest thousandth unit
An important concept in science
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The difference between 500 thousandths and 5 tenths is that they represent different magnitudes or amounts. To better understand this, let's break it down step by step:
First, let's consider the decimal number .500. This number represents 500 thousandths. The digit to the left of the decimal point is 5, which represents 5 tenths. The digits to the right of the decimal point, 00, represent the thousandths place.
On the other hand, the decimal number .5 represents 5 tenths. This means you have half of a whole unit.
To understand why you can't drop the extra zeros to the right of the decimal in .500, we need to consider the significance of each digit. In this case, the zeros to the right of the decimal point indicate that there are no additional decimal places beyond the thousandths place. Dropping the zeros would change the value of the number.
In summary, while .500 and .5 may look similar, they represent different quantities. .500 represents 500 thousandths, while .5 represents 5 tenths. The zero to the right of the decimal in .500 is essential for indicating the decimal place value.