Ok, this might sound stupid but why can't you divide a number by 0. Someone told me it was infinity...i dont get it. Can someone explain?
2006-11-15 13:33:31 · 9 answers · asked by Kamie S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Think of it like this...
10/10 = 1
then try a number closer to zero...
10/1 = 10 see the number gets bigger
try a number even closer to zero...
10/.001 = 10,000
So the closer the denominator gets to zero, the closer the answer gets to infinity.
2006-11-15 13:39:15 · answer #1 · answered by jerzey79 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First of all, it is not stupid. You ask an honest question. Taking 0 into something goes one time, and then the whole thing is left over. Then you take 0 into the thing a second time, and the whole thing is left over. So if you divide by 0 forever, you can never get to the end. So dividing by zero is what is called an "illegal" operation: It has no meaning.
2006-11-15 13:39:17 · answer #2 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basically because division is the inverse of multiplication.
In other words, 6/3 = 2 because 2*3=6.
If we plug in 0 instead of 3, we're saying 6/0=x, which is the same as saying x*0 = 6.
What value of x does that work for? (none). So there can't possibly be an answer to the division question either.
2006-11-15 13:36:31 · answer #3 · answered by Sean M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is infinity, because nothing ( which is the 0 ) can go into something ( which is the number other than 0) countless times
2006-11-15 13:36:52 · answer #4 · answered by Dream.Big 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of great answers above!
"0" is the lack of anything! It is nothing!
One cannot increase nothing without adding to it! It cannot be multiplied! It cannot be separated! One CAN add or subtract something to/from nothing (0), but it cannot be magnified or separated.
Nothing is just that, nothing!
Thus, one cannot divide something (+/-) by nothing because nothing does not (by meaning) exist.
Now, I have confused myself!!!
Hope this helps,
IMHO,
The Ol' Sasquatch Ã
2006-11-15 14:00:05 · answer #5 · answered by Ol' Sasquatch 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its undifined
u cant put 5 into 0 for example well u can but but its 0
2006-11-15 13:43:38 · answer #6 · answered by girly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
zero isn't infinity, its nothing. or rather a placeholder for nothingness on math problems
2006-11-15 13:36:10 · answer #7 · answered by funkyclarinette 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because zero times any number is always going to be zero.
2006-11-15 13:37:30 · answer #8 · answered by me 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if you had 2 pies and there is no1 that wants it how can u divide it...?u cant
2006-11-15 13:48:19 · answer #9 · answered by ilovemydogii 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋