For example, 12.789 is pronounced as "twelve point seven eight nine".
2006-06-05 17:58:49 · 6 answers · asked by Bumba 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
It's so that the person you are talking to knows what you are talking about.
What would the alternative be? "Twelve and seven hundred and eighty-nine thousandths?" That's a bit cumbersome.
The decimal point *creates* a division between the numbers, so we need to replicate that division by saying "point." It just makes sense.
2006-06-05 18:05:33 · answer #1 · answered by claude311 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blah, it makes sense in my head but it's difficult to explain. I'll give it a shot.
The .789 is not a whole number, and decimals are different in that the order is tenths, hundredths, thousandths, etc. So it would be incorrect to say "seven hundred and eighty-nine" because what it really means is 7 tenths and 8 hundredths, and 9 thousandths of a whole.
I apologize for my confusing-ness.
2006-06-06 01:03:46 · answer #2 · answered by poprocks24 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the .789 is not a full number like the 12
It's a lot easier than finding out the fraction and in some cases, there is no fraction for that decimal
2006-06-06 08:57:40 · answer #3 · answered by the Politics of Pikachu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Primary school kids get such doubts.45.7694 if pronounced as Forty five pont(decimal)seventhousand sixhundred ninety four it does not make any sense.Point(decimal)seven is 1/7,point 76 is 1/76,and so on.
2006-06-06 01:09:33 · answer #4 · answered by J.SWAMY I ఇ జ స్వామి 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well because it is a fraction of a number.. you cannot say..
12. seven hundred and eighty nine, because it is not seven hundred and eighty nine..it is .789 of 1
2006-06-06 01:03:48 · answer #5 · answered by oneblondepilgrim 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it's easier than figuring out what fraction the .789 is and stating it as a fraction.
2006-06-06 01:01:25 · answer #6 · answered by nwtobe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋