WRITING FRACTIONS WITH A DENOMINATOR OF 2 IN DECIMAL FORM
• PRACTICE (online exercises and printable worksheets)
For a complete discussion, read the text.

On the next web exercise (finding the average of two signed numbers),
All your answers will be fractions with a denominator of $\,2\,$,
and you should be able to convert them to a decimal without having to pull out your calculator!

To convert (say) $\,\displaystyle\frac{15}{2}\,$ to decimal form, go through this thought process:

How many times does $\,2\,$ go into $\,15\,$?
Answer:   It goes in $\,7\,$ times, with $\,1\,$ left over.
The answer is $\,7.5\,$.

Here are the details: $$\frac{15}2 \ =\ \frac{14+1}2 \ =\ \frac{14}2 + \frac12 \ =\ 7 + \frac 12 \ =\ 7 + 0.5 \ =\ 7.5$$

To convert a negative fraction (say, $\,\displaystyle-\frac{19}{2}$) to decimal form, go through this thought process:

Firstly, the answer will be negative.
How many times does $\,2\,$ go into $\,19\,$?
Answer:   It goes in $\,9\,$ times, with $\,1\,$ left over.
The answer is $\,-9.5\,$.

Of course, if $\,2\,$ goes in evenly, then you don't need a decimal at all to report your answer.
For example, $\,-\frac{16}2 = -8\,$.

Master the ideas from this section