Converting Decimal Inches to Fractional Inches

In this video Plumber-Tom demonstrates how to convert decimal inches to fractional inches. The process involves creating fractions and multiplying fractions. Creating fractions of an inch from a decimal requires rounding decimals to create a fraction.

[@Leo3T]

Thank you Tom! This is the second time, and my class just barely started, that I’ve used one of your videos to help me understand my plumbing homework for the course I’m taking at my local community college. You are a true blessing! Thank you!!!

[@plumber-tom9470]

Great! Glad I could help! Stay tuned. I will keep trying to produce useful content. 👍

[@hungngo4612]

I love this way! Thanks Tom.

[@plumber-tom9470]

Thanks! Glad this is helpful!

[@LordHolley]

What dictates whether you should round up or down? .5+ is rounded up and .4- is rounded down?

[@plumber-tom9470]

Yea. That is a good rule of thumb.

[@brucestorey917]

Thanks Tom! How about following up with a video adding and subtracting fractions which is what most of us would run across while laying out, say, a plumbing groundwork. If possible, can you use dimensions you would find in most commercial applications such as 3-5/8” plates and studs with 5/8” drywall. An example would be calculating from the inside of the framing of an outside wall, adding several rough wall dimensions of other rooms from the outside (original starting point) to the inside, then after getting to the rough wall behind a toilet, subtracting the 12-5/8” to obtain the measurement to the center of the closet flange from inside of the framing of the outside wall you began measuring from. Maybe, for a little more complication, you could add a 3/16” thick tile wainscoting behind the toilet. Throw in some 1/16”s, 1/8”s, 1/4”s, 1/2”s and 5/8”s. Thanks in advance!

[@plumber-tom9470]

Thanks for watching, Bruce. You always have good insights. I hope to continue to produce math help videos. I will put that on my list.

[@nancyhessler3358]

Thank
You !!!!!

[@plumber-tom9470]

You're welcome!

[@culturalproduct]

This a great start but the rounding up kind of limits your accuracy. How do you get it to be more accurate, like down to whatever fraction it accurately works out to?

[@plumber-tom9470]

Well if you want to be more accurate with fractions of an inch you can go to smaller fractions. Like 32nds or 64ths. But I usually round to what I can use on a measuring tape pie 1/4s and 1/8s.

[@culturalproduct]

Right got it. I was assuming there was some process that would give you an answer that was exactly matched to the decimal measure, not just rounded off to the nearest 4th or 64th or whatever. But I see there isn’t a way to do that - you’re always going to be rounding off to something.

[@TECNICO446]

So i got here cause i was needing that,im from italy and we use metric measure but im fascinated by inch,so my question is: giving a measure/result of a calcol converted to fraction will never be precise. is it true what am i saing? another question is: how do you round it? if you have for example 13.5 you go for 14 or 13? thank you.

[@plumber-tom9470]

You are correct. Fractions are not as accurate as decimals. But when it comes to measurements, fractions of an inch are good enough. When rounding it is best to round up if it is .5 or more and round down if it is less than .5.

[@TECNICO446]

Thank's, you've been very helpfull,you've got a subscriber😊have a Happy new year😊🎉

[@royalbrotha9729]

How do you get the 8 over 8 tho

[@grzegorzparzych8157]

That’s the formula. You use it to get the eighth fraction of an inch.

[@royalbrotha9729]

@@grzegorzparzych8157 taking my tradesman soon, any help. ?

[@plumber-tom9470]

8/8 is the same as one. You can choose to substitute it.

[@arbiter8246]

This is not correct. 3 1/2 = 3.5 not 3.47

[@plumber-tom9470]

Good observation. It is rounded up for use on a measuring tape.