Step 1:
The first step to converting 157972.31735176 to a fraction is to re-write 157972.31735176 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 157972.31735176 can be written as simply 157972.31735176/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 157972.31735176, which in this case is 8. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 157972.31735176/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 157972.31735176/1 each by 100000000:
Step 3:
Now the last step is to simplify the fraction (if possible) by finding similar factors and cancelling them out, which leads to the following answer for 157972.31735176 as a fraction:
473917/3 / 1