Step 1:
The first step to converting 842.501 to a fraction is to re-write 842.501 in the form p/q where p and q are both positive integers. To start with, 842.501 can be written as simply 842.501/1 to technically be written as a fraction.
Step 2:
Next, we will count the number of fractional digits after the decimal point in 842.501, which in this case is 3. For however many digits after the decimal point there are, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 842.501/1 each by 10 to the power of that many digits. So, in this case, we will multiply the numerator and denominator of 842.501/1 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 842.501 as a fraction:
420408/499 / 1