Hello,
I'm new to programming and have been writing a program that ask for mesurments and then figures out the area of shapes. The only problem is I can't figure out how to use fractions. The only one I need to use are really 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4. I read though /usr/lib/python2.7/fractions/.py but it was really confusing.
Can some one tell me how to use fractions and just as importantly why it's done like that (they why is so I can understand how to change it and keep using it).
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jimistephen
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 4:42 am
Re: Fractions
Do you actually need fractions? For most real world problems it's simpler to use floating point.
E.g. why not just
a = 23.4
b = a/2
c = a/4
d = a/8
etc.
E.g. why not just
a = 23.4
b = a/2
c = a/4
d = a/8
etc.
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jimistephen
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2014 4:42 am
Re: Fractions
Well, no I guess I don't need the fractions. The one I was having trouble with is a pentagon which A=1/4math.sqrt(5(5+2marth.sqrt(5)a2 I had a working equation but it was wrong.
edit: I got it working, thanks.
edit: I got it working, thanks.
Re: Fractions
In Python 2 if you divide two integers you get an integer result; the fraction part is rounded down. If you want a floating point answer, at least one of the numbers should be a float:
In Python 3 this is not necessary.
(When you actually want the truncated quotient and remainder, use // and %, which work in both versions, even for non-integers.)
Code: Select all
>>> 100 / 7
14
>>> 100.0 / 7
14.285714285714286(When you actually want the truncated quotient and remainder, use // and %, which work in both versions, even for non-integers.)