Step 1:
The first step to converting 78842.20972412 to a fraction is to re-write 78842.20972412 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 78842.20972412 can be written as simply 78842.20972412/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 78842.20972412, which in this case is 8. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 78842.20972412/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 78842.20972412/1 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 78842.20972412 as a fraction:
315369/4 / 1