SOLUTION: 6) A student says that 3 divided by 0 is 0. How do you respond?

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Question 176320: 6) A student says that 3 divided by 0 is 0. How do you respond?
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Division by zero is undefined. In other words, it is NOT allowed. So x%2F0 is NOT allowed (where x is any number).


Why is this? First, we know that zero multiplied by ANY number is ALWAYS zero. In other words, 0%2Ax=0 (since 0 groups of something is nothing)
So we can easily say that 0*1=0




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Now let's assume that 3%2F0 is possible. What would 3%2F0 be equal to? Let's say that 3%2F0=0 (hypothetically of course)


3%2F0=0 Start with the faulty equation


3=0%2A0 Multiply both sides by 0 (ie move the zero in the denominator to the right side)


3=0 Multiply.

Since this equation is false, this means that 3%2F0=0 is NOT true.


In general, the equation 3%2F0=x would become 3=0%2Ax which would inevitably simplify to 3=0 (which is again false).