Step 1:
The first step to converting 159973.31841 to a fraction is to re-write 159973.31841 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 159973.31841 can be written as simply 159973.31841/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 159973.31841, which in this case is 5. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 159973.31841/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 159973.31841/1 each by 100000:
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 159973.31841 as a fraction:
479920/3 / 1