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
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 |
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 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.