How is 5/1000 written as a decimal number?

Appeared in: SGPGI Nursing Officer-2024

Explanation

The fraction 5/1000 is equivalent to dividing 5 by 1000.
To divide a number by 1000, the decimal point is moved three places to the left.
Starting with 5 (or 5.0), moving the decimal point three places to the left results in 0.005.
The number of zeros in the denominator (three in 1000) dictates the number of places to move the decimal.

Option A: This value, 0.05, represents the fraction 5/100 (five hundredths). The decimal point was moved only two places to the left, not three.
Option C: This value, 5000, is the result of multiplying 5 by 1000. The question requires division, not multiplication.
Option D: This value, 0.055, represents the fraction 55/1000 (fifty-five thousandths), which is a different quantity.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Converting a fraction to its decimal equivalent as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Accurate decimal calculation is a fundamental and critical skill in nursing, especially for medication dosage. A misplaced decimal point can lead to a tenfold, hundredfold, or even thousandfold dosing error, which can have severe or fatal consequences for a patient.
For instance, a prescribed dose of 0.5 mg is ten times stronger than 0.05 mg and one hundred times stronger than 0.005 mg. Nurses must be proficient in converting fractions and understanding decimal places to ensure patient safety.
What if? If the fraction were 5/100 instead of 5/1000, the correct decimal would be 0.05. This is ten times larger than 0.005, demonstrating how a single zero can drastically change the value and the potential for a medication error.

How to Approach the Question

First, analyze the question. It asks to convert a specific fraction (5/1000) into a decimal number.
Identify the numerator (5) and the denominator (1000).
Recall the rule for converting fractions with a base-10 denominator: the number of zeros in the denominator indicates how many places to move the decimal point to the left in the numerator.
Count the zeros in the denominator (1000 has three zeros).
Take the numerator (5) and place an imaginary decimal point after it (5.0).
Move this decimal point three places to the left, adding zeros as placeholders: 5.0 -> 0.5 -> 0.05 -> 0.005.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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