Final answer:
The repeating decimal 0.035 is represented as the fraction 707/19980 after recognizing the pattern, setting up an equation, and factoring out the repeating sequence, ultimately showing it is a rational number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The repeating decimal 0.035 can be written as an infinite series by recognizing the pattern of repetition. To do this, let's set x as the given decimal:
x = 0.0353535...
Now, if we multiply x by 1000, we move the decimal point three places to the right:
1000x = 35.353535...
Now, by subtracting the original x from 1000x, we eliminate the repeating part:
1000x - x = 35.353535... - 0.0353535...
999x = 35.3181818...
Solving for x gives:
x = 35.3181818... / 999
Which simplifies to:
x = 3535 / 99900
And we can reduce the fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD), which is 5:
x = 707 / 19980
Thus, the repeating decimal 0.035 can be written as the ratio of two integers, 707 over 19980, which is a rational number.