Question

Convert each of the following sets of unlike decimals to like decimal: - 5.296, 5.2, 5.29.

Answer 1

Hint: First understand the definition of like and unlike decimals and learn the process to convert, unlike decimals into like decimals. From the given numbers, check the number in which there is the highest number of digits after the decimal. Now, add 0’s to the numbers having a lesser number of digits after the decimal such that the number of digits in them becomes equal to the number of digits present in the number in which there is the highest number of digits after the decimal.

Complete step-by-step solution
Here, we have been provided with three unlike decimal numbers 5.296, 5.2, and 5.29. We have to convert them in like decimals. First, let us see what are like and unlike decimals?
1. Like decimal: -
Decimals having the same number of decimal places are called like decimals. That means in a given set of decimal numbers, the number of digits after the decimal point must be the same. For example - 0.216, 0.914, 5.356 can be a set of like decimal numbers because in each decimal number the number of digits after the decimal point is 3.
2. Unlike decimal: -
Decimals that do not have the same number of decimal places are called decimals. That means in a given set of decimal numbers, the number of digits after the decimal point are different. For example - 0.912, 1.53, 10.4 can be assumed as a set of unlike decimal numbers because in each decimal number the number of digits after the decimal point is different.
Now, let us come to the question. We have been given: - 5.296, 5.2, 5.29. Here, 5.296 has 3 decimal places, 5.2 has 1, and 5.29 has two. So, we have to make 5.2 and 5.29 a 3 decimal place number.
Here, we can write: -
5.2 = 5.200 and 5.29 = 5.290
Clearly, we can see that we have converted these two numbers into 3 decimal place numbers. Now, in all the numbers the decimal place is 3.
Therefore, the set of like decimals will be: -
5.296, 5.200, 5.290

Note: One must note that we cannot add any other digit like - 1, 2, 3,… to change the numbers into like decimals. This is because if we add any other digit then the number gets changed and therefore 0 is added so that the number remains the same. We cannot add as many 0’s as we want, first, we have to check the number in which the decimal place is highest and then proceed accordingly.