My Math Forum Dividing by zero?

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 December 27th, 2011, 01:18 AM #1 Newbie   Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Dividing by zero? Expect some stupid questions... I'm under the 12. At a calculation of (for example) 5 divided by zero, you would probally say "zero". Well I wouldn't say that is correct, because 0 has to fit some times in 5, but that would be impossible. If you check on your calculator, it would say (it said on the mine) "5 can not be divided by zero.". I've tried saying "5 divided by 0 is infinite right?". Then the only problem would be that 0 times infinite is'nt 5. I would like some answers to this question, that doesn't have to be with 5:0.
December 27th, 2011, 03:02 AM   #2
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Re: Dividing by zero?

Quote:
 Originally Posted by Jo15 At a calculation of (for example) 5 divided by zero, you would probally say "zero".
Well, no, personally I would say it's undefined.

December 27th, 2011, 01:18 PM   #3
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Re: Dividing by zero?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Erimess
Quote:
 Originally Posted by Jo15 At a calculation of (for example) 5 divided by zero, you would probally say "zero".
Well, no, personally I would say it's undefined.
I would say that for a 12 year old, it is not just undefined, it is illegal (in a mathematical sense).

 December 27th, 2011, 06:07 PM #4 Senior Member   Joined: Dec 2011 From: Argentina Posts: 216 Thanks: 0 Re: Dividing by zero? The mathematical concept of division has no sense when the denominator is zero. Intuitively and in the field of infinitesimal calculus, we have definied that $\lim_{x \to 0} \displaystyle \frac{n}{x} \to \infty$ This translates into: if we divide a number by another which is as small as we like, we will get a very large number, and if we make that number even more small, the result will grow without limit, i.e. it will be infinitely large. Try yourself and check the following results: $\frac{1}{0.01}= 100$ $\frac{1}{0.0001}= 10 000$ $\frac{1}{0.000001}= 1 000 000$ $\frac{1}{0.00000001}= 100 000 000$ This said, infinity is not a concrete number, but a concept: something greater than anything else. Thus, the operations you are suggesting make no sense and that is why you are getting puzzled. Hope this helped.
 January 1st, 2012, 01:12 AM #5 Newbie   Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 2 Thanks: 0 Re: Dividing by zero? I still need my answer of 5 divided by zero...
January 1st, 2012, 12:55 PM   #6
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Re: Dividing by zero?

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 Originally Posted by Jo15 I still need my answer of 5 divided by zero...
You can say infinite if you must. 0x? is undefined, so don't expect to get 5 by multiplying by 0.

 January 1st, 2012, 03:09 PM #7 Senior Member   Joined: Dec 2011 From: Argentina Posts: 216 Thanks: 0 Re: Dividing by zero? Divinding by zero is meaningless! Put it this way. If you entered a market with $10 and items cost$1 you could buy 10. If they costed $0,1 you could buy 100, if they costed$0,001 you could buy 10000, but... what if they were free (i.e. \$0)? Then the reasoning we did before would be senseless: you could take 0, 100, 49875, 23 or ALL OF THEM..... it is meaningless to divide by zero.
January 1st, 2012, 07:51 PM   #8
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Re: Dividing by zero?

Quote:
 Originally Posted by Jo15 I still need my answer of 5 divided by zero...
In that case, you are going to be disappointed.
Also, the limit, as x goes to zero, of n/x does not exist.

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