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2015 AMC 12A Problem 15

Problem 15 of 25IntermediateNumber TheoryArithmetic

What is the minimum number of digits to the right of the decimal point needed to express the fraction 123456789226⋅54\dfrac{123456789}{2^{26}\cdot 5^4} as a decimal?

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Solution

The numerator and denominator share no common factors. To write the fraction as a decimal, rewrite it with a power of 1010 in the denominator; the smallest that works is 1026:10^{26}: 123456789226⋅54=123456789⋅5221026.\dfrac{123456789}{2^{26}\cdot 5^4} = \dfrac{123456789\cdot 5^{22}}{10^{26}}. Since the numerator 123456789⋅522123456789\cdot 5^{22} is not divisible by 10,10, the decimal has exactly 2626 places after the point. Thus, the correct answer is C.
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