It's a fraction. A percentage is a fraction times 100%. Although whole numbers can be thought of as fractions, 2=4/2, this is not common usage. (All of these are also rational numbers, i.e., numbers that can be expressed as a ***/*** number or as a decimal that either terminates or repeats.) It is also acceptable to refer to .231 as a decimal representation of a fraction. Yes, decimal also refers to "base 10" number systems but it does double duty in referring to the meaning of numbers to the right of the "decimal" point, a term that is retained for all bases, e.g., the decimal point in the base 2 number 1101.001.
Steven Desjardins Department of Chemistry Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 458-8873 FAX: (540) 458-8878 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
