Step 1:
The first step to converting 31871.142 to a fraction is to re-write 31871.142 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 31871.142 can be written as simply 31871.142/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 31871.142, which in this case is 3. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 31871.142/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 31871.142/1 each by 1000:
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 31871.142 as a fraction:
223098/7 / 1