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The three-digit number "ab5" is divisible by 3. How many different three-digit numbers can "ab5" represent?

User Mistenkt
by
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1 Answer

3 votes

Answer:

30

Explanation:

I can't prove this, but I can tell you the answer.

30.

a = 100 s digit

b = 10 s digit

5 is always the units digit.

I'm pretty sure that 30 is the correct answer.

What an interesting question. If I find out how it is done, I'll post it in the comments.

I can say this much.

a + b + 5 must be divisible by 3.

a = 1 b = 9 + 5

a = 1 b = 6 + 5

a = 1 b = 3 + 5

a = 1 b = 0 + 5

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Three more are obtained by interchanging the 100s and 10s digit except for b = 0

a = 9 b=1 + 5

a = 6 b =1 + 5

a = 3 b= 1 + 5

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a = 2 b = 2 + 5

a = 2 b = 5 + 5

a = 2 b = 8 + 5

only 2 more are obtained by interchanging the 10s and 100s digit

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a = 3 b = 4 +5

a = 3 b = 7 +5

You can't go any further. You get 2 more by interchanging the b and a digits.

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I hope you see what I've done here. I don't think this is an exact proof, but it is an exhaustive search.

User AaronD
by
4.8k points