If the 5 digit number 1364"?" is divisible by 3 then what are the possible values of the last digit?

1 Answer
Jun 11, 2016

1, 4 or 7.

Explanation:

In the decimal number system that we use, an integer is divisible by 3 if and only if the sum of its digits is also divisible by 3.

1+3+6+4+color(blue)(1) = 15 is divisible by 3.

So 1364color(blue)(1) is divisible by 3, and so will be:

1364color(blue)(1)+3 = 1364color(blue)(4)

and

1364color(blue)(4)+3 = 1364color(blue)(7)

color(white)()
Footnote

Why does this method of checking the digits add up to a multiple of 3 work?

Essentially because when you divide 10 by 3 then the remainder is 1.

So for example:

color(red)(153) = (100*color(red)(1)) + (10*color(red)(5)) + (1*color(red)(3))

= (99+1)*color(red)(1) + (9+1)*color(red)(5) + (0+1)*color(red)(3)
= (99*color(red)(1) + 9*color(red)(5) + 0*color(red)(3)) + (1*color(red)(1) + 1*color(red)(5) + 1*color(red)(3))
= 3(33*color(red)(1) + 3*color(red)(5) + 0*color(red)(3)) + (color(red)(1)+color(red)(5)+color(red)(3))

The expression 3(33*color(red)(1)+3*color(red)(5)+0*color(red)(3)) is divisible by 3.

So we find that 153 is divisible by 3 if and only if (1+5+3) is.