5/6 as a decimal
5/6 = 0.8(3) (0.833333…) inches = 21.1667 mm.
0.8(3)
5/6 of an inch — the bracketed digits repeat forever, so this form is exact where 0.833333… is not
Millimetres
21.1667 mm
Centimetres
2.11667 cm
Percent
83.3333%
Decimal
repeats
6 goes into 5 0 times with 5 left over, so write 0 and a decimal point. Then bring down a zero and divide again, one digit at a time.
| Step | Divide | Digit | Subtract | Remainder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 ÷ 6 | 8 | 50 − 48 | 2 |
| 2 | 20 ÷ 6 | 3 | 20 − 18 | 2 |
Remainder 2 has come up before — it is what step 2 started from. From there the division can only produce the same digits again, so the digits from step 2 on repeat forever (shaded): 5/6 = 0.8(3).
Where 5/6 falls at each precision, and whether the mark is the value exactly
| Rule | Nearest mark | Exact? |
|---|---|---|
| 1/16 | 13/16 | nearest |
| 1/32 | 27/32 | nearest |
| 1/64 | 53/64 | nearest |
Mixed numbers with 5/6
A whole number of inches plus 5/6: the whole number goes in front of the decimal point and 5/6 supplies the digits after it
| Mixed | Inches | mm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 5/6 | 1.8(3) | 46.5667 |
| 2 5/6 | 2.8(3) | 71.9667 |
| 3 5/6 | 3.8(3) | 97.3667 |
| 4 5/6 | 4.8(3) | 122.7667 |
| 5 5/6 | 5.8(3) | 148.1667 |
| 6 5/6 | 6.8(3) | 173.5667 |
| 7 5/6 | 7.8(3) | 198.9667 |
| 8 5/6 | 8.8(3) | 224.3667 |
| 9 5/6 | 9.8(3) | 249.7667 |
| 10 5/6 | 10.8(3) | 275.1667 |
| 11 5/6 | 11.8(3) | 300.5667 |
| 12 5/6 | 12.8(3) | 325.9667 |
Converting 5/6 to a decimal
A fraction is a division. 5/6 = 5 ÷ 6 = 0.8(3) (0.833333…). The decimal repeats forever, written 0.8(3) with the repeating digits bracketed. That happens because 6 factors into 2 × 3, which includes a prime other than 2 or 5 — so no power of ten is divisible by it and the long division never terminates.
In metric that is 21.1667 millimetres (2.11667 cm), since one inch is exactly 25.4 mm. As a percentage of an inch it is 83.3333%.
5/6 is not a mark on any imperial rule — the denominators on a rule are all powers of two, and 6 is not one. The nearest marks are 13/16 on a 1/16 rule, 27/32 on a 1/32 rule, 53/64 on a 1/64 rule, none of them exact.
Going the other way
To turn 0.833333 back into a fraction, pick the precision you are working to and multiply. At 1/16: 0.833333 × 16 = 13.3333, giving 13/16 after rounding to the nearest mark. At 1/32: 0.833333 × 32 = 26.6667, giving 27/32 after rounding to the nearest mark. At 1/64: 0.833333 × 64 = 53.3333, giving 53/64 after rounding to the nearest mark.
What is 5/6 as a decimal?
5/6 as a decimal is 0.8(3) (0.833333…). Divide the numerator by the denominator: 5 ÷ 6 = 0.8(3) (0.833333…). The division never comes out exactly, so the digits repeat.
What is 2 5/6 as a decimal?
2 5/6 as a decimal is 2.8(3). The whole number stays in front of the decimal point and 5/6 supplies the digits after it, so 2 5/6 = 2 + 0.8(3). In millimetres that is 71.9667 mm. This page's mixed-numbers table runs from 1 5/6 to 12 5/6.
What is 5/6 as a percent?
5/6 as a percent is about 83.3333%. Its decimal repeats, so the percentage does too; it is rounded here to four decimal places.
What is 0.8(3) (0.833333…) as a fraction?
0.833333… as a fraction is 5/6, in lowest terms.
How many millimetres is 5/6 of an inch?
5/6 of an inch is 21.1667 mm, or 2.11667 cm. An inch has been defined as exactly 25.4 mm since 1959, so this conversion is a definition rather than a measurement.
Where is 5/6 on a tape measure?
5/6 is not a mark on any imperial rule — the denominators on a rule are all powers of two, and 6 is not one. The nearest marks are 13/16 on a 1/16 rule, 27/32 on a 1/32 rule, 53/64 on a 1/64 rule, none of them exact.