Number Properties, pg. 52, #14

[jbhm]

Could someone please explain why the smallest possible value for 'a' is 4 rather than 9? If 'a' equals 4 and 'b' equals 5, the fraction would be 4/5, which doesn't seem to have a remainder of 4. Thanks!

[tommywallach]

Hey Jacob,

I don't have the book in front of me, so you can let me know if I'm answering the wrong question, but 4/5 does have a remainder of 5. One of the weirder things about division is that whenever the numerator is SMALLER than the denominator, the entire numerator is the remainder:

6/5
quotient = 1
remainder = 1

7/5
quotient = 2
remainder = 2

1/5
quotient = 0
remainder = 1

Does that answer your question?

-t

[jbhm]

That helps a lot! Thanks.

[tommywallach]

No problem! : )

-t