Step 1:
The first step to converting 71142.204375 to a fraction is to re-write 71142.204375 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 71142.204375 can be written as simply 71142.204375/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 71142.204375, which in this case is 6. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 71142.204375/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 71142.204375/1 each by 1000000:
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 71142.204375 as a fraction:
284569/4 / 1