Step 1: Identify the number of decimal places

The decimal 42.171856 has 6 decimal places.

Step 2: Multiply by the appropriate power of 10

Multiply by 10⁶ = 1000000 to eliminate the decimal point.

42.171856 × 1000000 = 42171856

Step 3: Write as a fraction

Step 4: Simplify the fraction

Find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 42171856 and 1000000.

GCD(42171856, 1000000) = 16

Divide both the numerator and denominator by the GCD: