3/8 as a decimal

The quick way is to make an equivalent fraction with a bottom of 1,000, because thousandths can be written straight down as a decimal.

1. 8 × 125 = 1,000.
2. Do the same to the top: 3 × 125 = 375.
3. So 3/8 = 375/1,000, which is 375 thousandths.

375 thousandths is written 0.375: the last digit goes in the thousandths column.

You can also divide the top by the bottom. Short division gives the same answer:

1. 8 does not go into 3, so write 0 and a decimal point, then carry the 3 over as 30 tenths.
2. 8 goes into 30 3 times, remainder 6. Write 3, and carry the 6 to make 60.
3. 8 goes into 60 7 times, remainder 4. Write 7, and carry the 4 to make 40.
4. 8 goes into 40 5 times exactly. Write 5.
5. The remainder is 0, so the division stops: 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375.

To round to 2 decimal places, look at the third digit after the point. It is 5, which is 5 or more, so round up: 0.375 is 0.38 to 2 decimal places.

Every eighth is 125 thousandths: 3/8 is 3 × 125 = 375 thousandths, which is 0.375. An eighth is also half of a quarter: half of 0.25 is 0.125.

3/8 sits between 1/3 (0.333...) and 1/2 (0.5). It is closer to 1/3.