Terminating Decimals #2

Welcome! You are encouraged to register with the site and login (for free). When you register, you support the site and your question history is saved.

Any decimal that has only a finite number of nonzero digits is a terminating decimal.

For example, 10, 0.23, and 8.107 are three terminating decimals. If n and m are positive integers and the ratio is expressed as a decimal, is a terminating decimal?

(1) n is a three-digit number divisible by 10.

(2)

Review: Terminating Decimals #2




Explanation

This question takes some time to define a terminating decimal and asks us whether such a decimal is. Let's look at the statements, separately first.

Statement (1) tells us that n is a number such as 200 or 210. Meanwhile, m could be any positive integer, such as 3. We get a terminating decimal from , but not from , which will have a repeating 3. Therefore, the possible cases include conflicting possible answers, and Statement (1) is insufficient.

Statement (2) tells us that m is 5. Meanwhile, we know nothing about n, except that it's a positive integer. If n=10, then , and we have a terminating decimal. If n=3, then . That, too, is a terminating decimal. No matter what n is, when divided by m it will be an integer or end in .2, .4, .6, or .8. Therefore, will also be a terminating decimal. We can answer definitively, so Statement (2) is sufficient.

The correct answer is (B).


If you believe you have found an error in this question or explanation, please contact us and include the question title or URL in your message.