Step 1:
The first step to converting 172178.72881901 to a fraction is to re-write 172178.72881901 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 172178.72881901 can be written as simply 172178.72881901/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 172178.72881901, which in this case is 8. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 172178.72881901/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 172178.72881901/1 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 172178.72881901 as a fraction:
516536/3 / 1