What is a terminating decimal?

A terminating decimal is a decimal number that has a finite number of digits after the decimal point. This means that the decimal representation of the number ends or terminates after a certain number of digits.

For example, the number 0.25 is a terminating decimal because it ends after two digits and can be expressed as 0.25.

Terminating decimals can be easily converted into fractions by placing the digits after the decimal point over the appropriate power of 10. For example, 0.25 can be written as 25/100, which simplifies to 1/4.

In contrast, non-terminating decimals continue indefinitely after the decimal point, such as 0.333... or 0.666.... Termination of a decimal is usually denoted by writing a horizontal line over the repeating digit or digits.

Terminating decimals are easier to work with in calculations compared to non-terminating decimals.