Divisibility
A four-digit PIN of the form $5X4Y$ has to be divisible by $4$ and by $9$ at the same time. How do you find all the possible digits $X$ and $Y$ without trying all hundred codes one by one? With divisibility tests and a bit of organisation.
More tests: 4, 6, 8 and 11
On a streaming platform, series are grouped into seasons. If a series has a total of $42$ episodes, state which of the following statements are true and which are false,…
On a streaming platform, series are grouped into seasons. If a series has a total of $42$ episodes, state which of the following statements are true and which are false, giving a brief reason for your answer:
- a) The number $6$ is a factor of $42$.
- b) $42$ is a multiple of $5$.
- c) $42$ is divisible by $14$.
Calculate mentally and write down in your notebook: a) The first five multiples of $12$. b) All the factors of the number $24$. c) The multiples of $7$ between $30$ and…
Calculate mentally and write down in your notebook:
- a) The first five multiples of $12$.
- b) All the factors of the number $24$.
- c) The multiples of $7$ between $30$ and $60$.
Unknown digits with several conditions
When you are asked to find a digit that satisfies several tests at the same time, solve each condition separately and then look for the values that are common to all of them.
A programmer is designing a four-digit access code. The code follows the format $35A2$, where $A$ is an unknown digit. For the code to be valid, the number must be…
A programmer is designing a four-digit access code. The code follows the format $35A2$, where $A$ is an unknown digit. For the code to be valid, the number must be simultaneously divisible by $3$ and $4$.
Determine all possible values that the digit $A$ can take and write down the resulting complete numbers.
At a video game convention, they want to organise the participants into teams. We have a security access code that is a four-digit number of the form $4A2B$. For the…
At a video game convention, they want to organise the participants into teams. We have a security access code that is a four-digit number of the form $4A2B$.
For the code to be valid, it must satisfy two conditions:
- a) It must be divisible by $3$.
- b) It must be divisible by $11$.
Find all possible values for the digits $A$ and $B$.
A famous influencer wants to protect access to their video editing account with a four-digit PIN code of the form $5X4Y$. So as not to forget it, they have memorised the…
A famous influencer wants to protect access to their video editing account with a four-digit PIN code of the form $5X4Y$. So as not to forget it, they have memorised the following conditions based on divisibility:
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The number is divisible by $4$.
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The number is also divisible by $9$.
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The units digit ($Y$) is greater than the thousands digit.
Find all possible PIN codes that satisfy these conditions.
Reasoning with the number of divisors
You already know that if $N = p^a \cdot q^b\ldots$, the number of divisors is $(a+1)(b+1)\ldots$. This can also be used to check whether a number is a perfect square.
Calculate the total number of factors of the number $360$ without writing them all out. To do this: a) Find its prime factorisation using powers. b) Apply the rule of…
Calculate the total number of factors of the number $360$ without writing them all out. To do this:
- a) Find its prime factorisation using powers.
- b) Apply the rule of multiplying each exponent increased by one.
- c) State whether the number $360$ is a perfect square, explaining your reasoning based on the exponents in its factorisation.
A natural number $N$ has the following prime factorisation: $N = 2^{a} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5^{1}$. We know that the total number of factors of $N$ is exactly $24$. 1.…
A natural number $N$ has the following prime factorisation: $N = 2^{a} \cdot 3^{2} \cdot 5^{1}$.
We know that the total number of factors of $N$ is exactly $24$.
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Calculate the value of the exponent $a$.
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Determine the numerical value of $N$.
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Write down all the factors of $N$ that are multiples of $15$ but not of $2$.
Back to the beginning: For $5X4Y$ to be divisible by $4$, its last two digits $4Y$ must be a multiple of $4$, so $Y \in \{0, 4, 8\}$. For it to be divisible by $9$, the sum $5+X+4+Y = 9+X+Y$ must be a multiple of $9$: if $Y=0$, $X=0$ or $X=9$ works ($5040$ and $5940$); if $Y=4$, $X=5$ works ($5544$); and if $Y=8$, $X=1$ works ($5148$). There are exactly four valid codes.