In many cases that’s fine, I’ve done so regularly. But when you want to be precise without making it complicated you can just say the fraction as well. But in order to do that you need people to feel comfortable with it, therefore we need to teach kids this from a young age. I’m not saying we always need them, but they’re definitely very useful tools that you want at the ready when you need them. To make quick calculations in your head it’s often way simpler to use the fraction than the real number. And in cases like 1/3rd or 3/7ths it’s a way simpler, accurate and more efficient way to communicate the number than to name the rounded number.
Comment on Kid gave a reasonable answer without all the math bullshit
Vinstaal0@feddit.nl 2 months agoOr just say 33%?
gerryflap@feddit.nl 2 months ago
Vinstaal0@feddit.nl 2 months ago
At least where I am from we do get fractions in school.
Most people here will say “een derde” aka a 3rd, but it is mostly not used as a precise measurement or anything. Something like 3/7th is rarely used andd we would say 42,9%. In cases where the differences that create are relevant we would communicate it on paper or digitally where iirc we would still use percentages or decimals. Then again I am an accountant and not a technical analysist or anything. For me the difference between 42,9% and 42,85714 will mean a couple thousand at most.
Doesn’t imperial metrics also use frations from time to time? Metric doesn’t do that, but we have things like nanometers etc.
gerryflap@feddit.nl 2 months ago
I’m also Dutch so I don’t have the answers about the imperial system haha
beegnyoshi@lemm.ee 2 months ago
33.33333333333…%, you mean?
Vinstaal0@feddit.nl 2 months ago
In 99/100 of the situations people do not care about you saying 33% instead of 1/3 or 33,3333333333% or 33,33…%
goldfndr@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Shocking twist: boldly estimating 99/100 of situations is less accurate (more hyperbolic) than asserting 33% or ⅓ or whatever is accurate.
Vinstaal0@feddit.nl 2 months ago
It’s not about accuracy especially not when TALKING to somebody. I work with numbers for a living and nobody is as obsessed with fractions than people on Reddit and Lemmy, it’s crazy and I have clients where the difference between 33,33% and 33% can be thousdands of euro’s.