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A fraction p/q is in its lowest terms and its decimal expansion stops after exactly 5 places. Which of these could q be?

Competition practiceNumber & Arithmetic
  • A40
  • B250
  • C32
  • D64

Step-by-Step Solution

A fraction terminates only when q is built from 2s and 5s alone, and the number of decimal places is the LARGER of the two indices — because you multiply top and bottom by whichever prime is in short supply to reach a power of 10. Here gives exactly 5 places: 1/32 = 0.03125. The others miss: has larger index 3 (1/40 = 0.025), also has larger index 3 (1/250 = 0.004), and runs to 6 places (1/64 = 0.015625). Adding the indices instead of taking the larger is the usual slip — it would wrongly promote 40 to four places.
Answer: C) 32

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