Ratios, Fractions and Decimals Explained

If a basket has 2 red apples and 3 green apples, the part-to-part ratio red:green is 2:3. The fraction of all apples that are red is 2/5, not 2/3. Writing 2:3 as the quotient 2/3 is mathematically useful for comparing the two parts, but it does not turn the denominator into the whole automatically.

The Ratio Calculator helps simplify and compare ratio forms.

Divide the numerator by the denominator. For 3/8, 3 ÷ 8 = 0.375. The Fraction to Decimal Calculator performs this conversion directly.

Some fractions terminate, such as 1/4 = 0.25. Others repeat, such as 1/3 = 0.333…. A rounded decimal like 0.33 is an approximation of one third, not an exact replacement. This distinction matters when converting back to a fraction.

A terminating decimal can be written over a power of ten and simplified. For example, 0.125 = 125/1000 = 1/8. The Decimal to Fraction Calculator automates the exact simplification for supported decimal inputs.

The ratio 2:4 simplifies to 1:2. The fraction 2/4 simplifies to 1/2, and the quotient is 0.5. These are equivalent numerically when the same two numbers are being divided, but context determines whether you should describe the result as a ratio, a proportion, a fraction of a whole or a decimal rate.