onetenth

One tenth, denoted as 1/10, is the fraction representing one part of a whole divided into ten equal parts. It corresponds to the decimal 0.1 and to 10 percent. It is a rational number.

In decimal form, 1/10 equals 0.1, a terminating decimal because the denominator (10) has only the prime factors 2 and 5. As a percentage, it is 10% of a quantity.

In the metric system, the prefix deci- denotes one tenth. Units such as the decimeter (0.1 meter), deciliter (0.1 liter), decigram (0.1 gram), and decisecond (0.1 second) illustrate the usage of the prefix for scale. The concept is used whenever a quantity is divided into ten equal parts.

Etymology and context: The term one tenth comes from Latin decimus, meaning "the tenth." In mathematics, it is a basic unit of division and a starting point for understanding decimal fractions and ratios involving tenths. It applies to negative quantities as well, with -1/10 representing the same fraction in the opposite direction.