Is Every Integer in the Decimal System Divisible by 5?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Prathep
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Divisibility Proof
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
5 replies · 14K views
Prathep
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
I need some help proving this statement.

Prove that a positive integer is divisible by 5 if and only if it's last digit is either
0 or 5.

Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I need some help proving this statement.

Homework Statement



Prove that a positive integer is divisible by 5 if and only if it's last digit is either
0 or 5.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
One way is easy. Suppose n is a positive integer that ends in 0 or 5. Then we can write
[tex]n = 10k + 5\epsilon[/tex]
with k a positive integer and [itex]\epsilon[/itex] = 0 or 1. For example,
1234985135 = 123498513 * 10 + 5. Then obviously [itex]n / 5 = k + \epsilon[/itex] which is a positive integer again.

Also this approach should give you a clue for the other direction (suppose n is divisible by 5, then you can write it as 5k for some positive integer k. Now what can you say about k?)
 
every integer in the decimal system can be written as follows:

[tex]z = a_0 + a_1*10 + a_2*10^2 + ... + a_n*10^n[/tex]

as 10 is the product of 2 and 5 ==> 5 | 10

for n > 0 all terms have 0 as the last digit

if z is a number with last digit = 0, then [tex]a_0 = 0[/tex] ==> 5 | z

else [tex]a_0 = 5[/tex] and also this implies 5 | z