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Division by Zero


Date: 8/27/96 at 19:0:36
From: Anonymous
Subject: Division by Zero

What is the value of a number divided by zero?

Date: 8/27/96 at 22:1:18
From: Doctor Robert
Subject: Re: Division by Zero

Division by zero is an operation for which you cannot find an answer,
so it is disallowed.  You can understand why if you think about how
division and multiplication are related. 

   12 divided by 6 is 2 
because 
    6 times 2 is 12

   12 divided by 0 is x 
would mean that 
    0 times x = 12.  

But no value would work for x because 0 times any number is 0!  
So division by zero doesn't work.

-Doctor Robert,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/

Associated Topics:
Elementary Division
Middle School Division

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