Question 13 Marks
Look at several examples of rational numbers in the form $\frac{p}{q}(q \neq 0)$, where $p$ and $q$ are integers with no common factors other than $1$ and having terminating decimal representations (expansions). Can you guess what property $q$ must satisfy?
Answer
View full question & answer→ Let $\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{4}, \frac{5}{8}, \frac{17}{25}, \frac{2}{125}, \frac{13}{20}$ etc which has terminating decimal expansion. For example:
$\frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{2^1}=0.5, \text { denominator } q=2^1$
$\frac{1}{4}=\frac{1}{2^2}=0.25 \text { denominator } q=2^2$
$\frac{5}{8}=\frac{5}{2^3}=0.625, \text { denominator } q=2^3$
$\frac{17}{25}=\frac{17}{5^2}=0.68, \text { denominator } q=5^2$
$\frac{2}{125}=\frac{2}{5^3}=0.016, \text { denominator } q=5^3$
$\frac{13}{20}=\frac{13}{2^2 \times 5}=0.65, \text { denominator } q=2^2 \times 5$
It can be observed that the terminating decimal can be obtained in a condition where prime factorization of the denominator (i.e. q) of the given fractions has $2$ or the power of $2$ or $5$ or power of $5$ or both.
$\frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{2^1}=0.5, \text { denominator } q=2^1$
$\frac{1}{4}=\frac{1}{2^2}=0.25 \text { denominator } q=2^2$
$\frac{5}{8}=\frac{5}{2^3}=0.625, \text { denominator } q=2^3$
$\frac{17}{25}=\frac{17}{5^2}=0.68, \text { denominator } q=5^2$
$\frac{2}{125}=\frac{2}{5^3}=0.016, \text { denominator } q=5^3$
$\frac{13}{20}=\frac{13}{2^2 \times 5}=0.65, \text { denominator } q=2^2 \times 5$
It can be observed that the terminating decimal can be obtained in a condition where prime factorization of the denominator (i.e. q) of the given fractions has $2$ or the power of $2$ or $5$ or power of $5$ or both.




