We often deal with numbers that aren't whole. Think about money, measurements, or recipes. Decimals are a way to write these in-between numbers. They are essentially fractions in disguise, specifically fractions where the bottom number (the denominator) is a power of 10, like 10, 100, or 1,000.

The key is the decimal point. It separates the whole number part on the left from the fractional part on the right.

Just like whole numbers, every digit in a decimal has a place value. To the left of the decimal point, we have ones, tens, hundreds, and so on. To the right, we have the fractional parts.

The first spot to the right is the tenths place. The next is the hundredths place, then the thousandths, and it continues in this pattern. Notice the 'ths' at the end—that's how you know it's a piece of a whole.

So, in the number 235.681, the '6' is in the tenths place (meaning six tenths), the '8' is in the hundredths place (eight hundredths), and the '1' is in the thousandths place (one thousandth).

Reading decimals correctly is the first step to understanding them. You read the whole number part, say "and" for the decimal point, and then read the number on the right as if it were a whole number, finishing with the name of the last place value.

For example, 12.05 is read as "twelve and five hundredths" because the 5 is in the hundredths place. The number 0.234 is read as "two hundred thirty-four thousandths."

Which is bigger, 0.7 or 0.56? It can be tricky because 56 is bigger than 7. To compare decimals correctly, it's best to line them up by the decimal point. You can add zeros to the end of the shorter decimal so they have the same number of decimal places. This doesn't change its value.

So, we compare 0.70 and 0.56. Now it's easier to see that 70 hundredths is more than 56 hundredths. Therefore, 0.7 is greater than 0.56.

Since decimals are just another way to write fractions, we need to be able to switch between them. Let's start with converting a decimal to a fraction. The way you read the decimal out loud tells you how to write it as a fraction.

After you write it as a fraction, you should always simplify it if possible. In this case, both 4 and 10 can be divided by 2.

To go the other way, from a fraction to a decimal, you perform the division that the fraction represents.

The fraction $\frac{2}{5}$ means 2 divided by 5. If you perform this division, you get the decimal.

Understanding these conversions helps you see that fractions and decimals are two sides of the same coin, just different ways of showing parts of a whole.

Mastering these basics will set you up for success as you start working with decimals in more complex ways.