What is the decimal equivalent of the fraction 1/5?

To find the decimal equivalent of the fraction 1/5, you can carry out the division of 1 by 5. This division can be understood as determining how many times 5 fits into 1. Since 5 is greater than 1, you cannot have whole units, so you need to consider the decimal places.

By performing the division, you see that 5 goes into 1 zero times, and you proceed to add a decimal point and a zero to the 1, making it 10. When dividing 10 by 5, the result is 2. Thus, when 1 is divided by 5, the result is 0.2.

This process demonstrates that the correct decimal representation of 1/5 is indeed 0.2. Identifying this equivalent helps students understand the relationship between fractions and decimals, reinforcing their comprehension of both forms of numerical representation.