Step 1:
The first step to converting 172874.73187938 to a fraction is to re-write 172874.73187938 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 172874.73187938 can be written as simply 172874.73187938/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 172874.73187938, which in this case is 8. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 172874.73187938/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 172874.73187938/1 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 172874.73187938 as a fraction:
518624/3 / 1