Ask your friend to guess a number, and then ask her to:
Multiply it by 5; add 6 to the result; multiply the result by 4; add 10 to the result; and then multiply the result by 5.
Now ask your friend to tell you the result. The result should always end with 70 in the least significant positions (e.g.: 370, 570, 1270, 45670, etc...).
Scratch the ‘70’ from the last two digits and subtract one from whatever is left. That would be the number your friend had guessed! For example, if the result is 2370, the number she had guessed is 22 (23 -1), if the result is 470, the number is 3 (4-1), and so on.
Note: if the result does not end with 70, you know that she has made a mistake in her calculations!
1. Why are the two least significant digits are always 7 and 0, respectively.
2. Why can you come up with the guessed number if you subtract 1 from the left over number after scratching 70?
2007-07-06
13:59:18
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4 answers
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asked by
BJ G
1
in
Science & Mathematics
➔ Mathematics