Arithmetic Reasoning
Decimals
Yesterday I presented a question on decimals. What is 50 divided by .10?
In working as an ASVAB tutor, I place a strong emphasis on the importance of working with decimals. Some of my students have difficulty in knowing where to put the decimal place in the answer in examples of multiplication and division with decimals. My book, The ASVAB Tutor’s Arithmetic Reasoning Study Guide includes 15 subtopics of arithmetic. Decimals is one of the 15 subtopics.
In the example of 50 divided by .10, it is necessary to move the decimal point to divide.
You cannot divide by a number with a decimal in it.
.10 needs to be changed to 10
Since .10 became 10 by moving the decimal 2 places to the left, the number 50 needs to become 5000.
The problems becomes 5000 divided by 10.
5000 divided by 10 = 500.
500 is the final answer.
