SOLUTION: How would you explain to a fifth grader why the sum of 4 consecutive number is not divisible by 4? Examples would be great Thanks for the help.

Question 560031: How would you explain to a fifth grader why the sum of 4 consecutive number is not divisible by 4? Examples would be great Thanks for the help.
Answer by josmiceli(19441) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Start with any number. Call it
Then write down the number
and the following 3 numbers this way:

Now add these up. You get

is divisible by , then when
is divided by , you always
get a remainder of .
---------------------------------
Here's an example:
Suppose

Adding these 4 consecutive numbers,

If I divide 4 's by , I get
Now I divide the by , and I get
with left over, so my answer is
and that equals
18 1/2, which is not a whole number of times
----------------
Since was any number, this works for all numbers
RELATED QUESTIONS
Explain why x^2 + 36 is prime (not factorable). How do you know? How would you explain... (answered by pandion)

Could you please help me understand how I would check for divisibility by 45. I... (answered by jim_thompson5910)

Explain why x^2 + 5x + 8 is prime (not factorable). How do you know? Give 2 examples of a (answered by richwmiller)

How would you explain to your friend why the quotient of��x^8 and x^2 is x^6 and not... (answered by rfer)

"Between which 2 consecutive whole numbers dose the fifth root of 250 lie?" I'm not... (answered by Alan3354)

the number has four digits, the thousands digit is twice the hundreds digit,the ones... (answered by richwmiller,Edwin McCravy)

Here is the problem that i CANNOT figure out :-( Word problem: Recently a very... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)

Is it possible for the remainder to be 2 when a prime number that is greater than 2 is... (answered by stanbon,Earlsdon)

Is it possible for the remainder to be 2 when a prime number that is greater than 2 is... (answered by stanbon)