---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 C.F.R. § 500.17"
title: "16"
number: "500.17"
heading: "Fractions."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/16/500.17"
---

# §500.17. Fractions.

- (a) SI metric declarations of net quantity of contents of any consumer commodity may contain only decimal fractions. Other declarations of net quantity of contents may contain common or decimal fractions. A common fraction shall be in terms of halves, quarters, eighths, sixteenths, or thirty-seconds; except that:
  - (1) If there exists a firmly established general consumer usage and trade custom of employing different common fractions in the net quantity declaration of a particular commodity, they may be employed, and
  - (2) If linear measurements are required in terms of yards or feet, common fractions may be in terms of thirds. A common fraction shall be reduced to its lowest terms; a decimal fraction shall not be carried out to more than three places.
- (b) If a statement includes small fractions, smaller variations in the actual size or weight of the commodity will be permitted as provided in [§ 500.25](/cfr/16/500.25.md), than in cases where the larger fractions or whole numbers are used.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1453, 1454, 1455.

### Source

Source: 59 FR 1872, Jan. 12, 1994, unless otherwise noted.