Answer: Yes, 3/8 is a terminating number
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Explanation:
Using a calculator,
3/8 = 0.375
The decimal stops and does not go on forever. So it is terminating.
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One way to be able to tell that it terminates is to look at the denominator 8, which factors to 2*2*2 or 2^3. The prime factor 2 indicates that the decimal will terminate. The rule is that if the denominator is factored into 2's or 5's only, then the decimal will terminate.
Examples:
1/5 = 0.2, 4/10 = 0.4, 5/8 = 0.625
Some non-examples would be
1/3 = 0.333333...
5/6 = 0.83333....
2/7 = 0.285714...
Each denominator of these non-terminating fractions do not have solely 2's or 5's as part of the factorizations.
