decimals
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FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, & PERCENTS Math Preparation Guide This guide provides an in-depth look at the variety of GMAT questions that test your knowledge of fractions, decimals, and percents. Learn to see the connections among these part-whole relationships and practice implementing strategic shortcuts.
Fractions, Decimals, and Percents GMAT Preparation Guide, 2007 Edition 10-digit International Standard Book Number: 0-9790175-1-3 13-digit International Standard Book Number: 978-0-9790175-1-3 Copyright © 2007 MG Prep, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution—without the prior written permission of the publisher, MG Prep Inc. Note: GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test, Graduate Management Admission Council, and GMAC are all registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council which neither sponsors nor is affiliated in any way with this product.
8 GUIDE INSTRUCTIONAL SERIES
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Math GMAT Preparation Guides Number Properties (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-0-6) Fractions, Decimals, & Percents (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-1-3) Equations, Inequalities, & VIC’s (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-2-0) Word Translations (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-3-7) Geometry (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-4-4)
Verbal GMAT Preparation Guides Critical Reasoning (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-5-1) Reading Comprehension (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-6-8) Sentence Correction (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-7-5)
HOW OUR GMAT PREP BOOKS ARE DIFFERENT One of our core beliefs at Manhattan GMAT is that a curriculum should be more than just a guidebook of tricks and tips. Scoring well on the GMAT requires a curriculum that builds true content knowledge and understanding. Skim through this guide and this is what you will see:
You will not find page after page of guessing techniques. Instead, you will find a highly organized and structured guide that actually teaches you the content you need to know to do well on the GMAT.
You will find many more pages-per-topic than in all-in-one tomes. Each chapter covers one specific topic area in-depth, explaining key concepts, detailing in-depth strategies, and building specific skills through Manhattan GMAT’s In-Action problem sets (with comprehensive explanations). Why are there 8 guides? Each of the 8 books (5 Math, 3 Verbal) covers a major content area in extensive depth, allowing you to delve into each topic in great detail. In addition, you may purchase only those guides that pertain to those areas in which you need to improve.
This guide is challenging - it asks you to do more, not less. It starts with the fundamental skills, but does not end there; it also includes the most advanced content that many other prep books ignore. As the average GMAT score required to gain admission to top business schools continues to rise, this guide, together with the 6 computer adaptive online practice exams and bonus question bank included with your purchase, provides test-takers with the depth and volume of advanced material essential for achieving the highest scores, given the GMAT’s computer adaptive format.
This guide is ambitious - developing mastery is its goal. Developed by Manhattan GMAT’s staff of REAL teachers (all of whom have 99th percentile official GMAT scores), our ambitious curriculum seeks to provide test-takers of all levels with an in-depth and carefully tailored approach that enables our students to achieve mastery. If you are looking to learn more than just the "process of elimination" and if you want to develop skills, strategies, and a confident approach to any problem that you may see on the GMAT, then our sophisticated preparation guides are the tools to get you there.
5
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
1. DIGITS & DECIMALS In Action Problems Solutions
2. FRACTIONS In Action Problems Solutions
3. PERCENTS In Action Problems Solutions
4. FDP’s In Action Problems Solutions
5. STRATEGIES FOR DATA SUFFICIENCY
11 21 23
25 39 41
43 51 53
57 61 63
67
Sample Data Sufficiency Rephrasing
71
6. OFFICIAL GUIDE PROBLEM SETS
77
Problem Solving List Data Sufficiency List
80 81
g
TABLE OF CONTENTS
g
Chapter 1 of
FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, & PERCENTS
DIGITS & DECIMALS
g
In This Chapter . . . • Place Value • Using Place Value on the GMAT • Rounding to the Nearest Place Value • Adding Zeroes to Decimals • Powers of 10: Shifting the Decimal • The Last Digit Shortcut • The Heavy Division Shortcut • Decimal Operations
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
DECIMALS GMAT math goes beyond an understanding of the properties of integers or whole numbers. The GMAT also tests your ability to understand the numbers that fall in between the whole numbers. These numbers are called decimals. For example, the decimal 6.3 falls between the integers 6 and 7.
4
6 6.3
5
7
8
You can use a number line to decide between which whole numbers a decimal falls.
Some other examples of decimals include: Decimals less than 1: Decimals between 1 and 0: Decimals between 0 and 1: Decimals greater than 1:
3.65, 12.01, 145.9 .65, .8912, .076 .65, .8912, .076 3.65, 12.01, 145.9
Note that an integer can be expressed as a decimal by adding the decimal point and the number 0. For example: 8 = 8.0
123 = 123.0
400 = 400.0
DIGITS Every number is composed of digits. There are only ten digits in our number system: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The term digit refers to one building block of a number; it does not refer to a number itself. For example: 356 is a number composed of three digits: 3, 5, and 6. Numbers are often classified by the number of digits they contain. For example: 2, 7, and 8 are each single-digit numbers (they are each composed of one digit). 43, 63, and 14 are each double-digit numbers (composed of two digits). 100, 765 and 890 are each triple-digit numbers (composed of three digits). 500,000 and 468,024 are each six-digit numbers (composed of six digits). 789,526,622 is a nine-digit number (composed of nine digits). Note that decimals can be classified by the number of digits they contain as well: 3.4 is a number that contains two digits. 7.05 is a number that contains three digits. 106.7559 is a number that contains seven digits. *
ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
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Chapter 1
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Place Value Every digit in a number has a particular place value depending on its location within the number. For example, in the number 452, the digit 2 is in the ones (or units) place, the digit 5 is in the tens place, and the digit 4 is in the hundreds place. The name of each location corresponds to the “value” of that place. Thus: 2 is worth two units, or 2. 5 is worth five tens, or 50. 4 is worth four hundreds, or 400.
You should memorize the names of all the place values.
6 H U N D R E D
9 T E N
B I L L I O N S
B I L L I O N S
2 O N E
B I L L I O N S
5 H U N D R E D
6 T E N
M I L L I O N S
M I L L I O N S
7 O N E
M I L L I O N S
8 H U N D R E D
9 1 T E N
T H O U S A N D S
T H O U S A N D S
0 H U N D R E D S
2 T E N S
T H O U S A N D S
3 . U N I T S
8 T E N T H S
3 H U N D R E D T H S
4 T H O U S A N D T H S
7 T E N T H O U S A N D T H S
The chart to the left analyzes the place value of all the digits in the number: 692,567,891,023.8347 Notice that the place values to the left of the decimal all end in “-s”, while the place values to the right of the decimal all end in “-ths.” This is because the suffix “-ths” gives these places (to the right of the decimal) a fractional value.
Let's analyze the end of the preceding number: .8347 8 8 is in the tenths place, giving it a value of 8 tenths, or ⎯⎯ . 10 3 3 is in the hundredths place, giving it a value of 3 hundredths, or ⎯ . 100 4 4 is in the thousandths place, giving it a value of 4 thousandths, or ⎯ . 1000 7 7 is in the ten thousandths place, giving it a value of 7 ten thousandths, or ⎯ . 10,000 To use a concrete example, .8 means eight tenths of one dollar, which would be 8 dimes or 80 cents. Additionally, .03 means three hundredths of one dollar, which would be 3 pennies or 3 cents.
*
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the new standard
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
Using Place Value on the GMAT You will never be asked to find the digit in the tens place on the GMAT. However, you will need to use place value to solve fairly difficult GMAT problems. Consider the following problem: A and B are both two-digit numbers. If A and B contain the same digits, but in reverse order, what integer must be a factor of (A + B)? To solve this problem, assign two variables to be the digits in A and B: x and y. Using your knowledge of place value, you can express A as 10x + y, where x is the digit in the tens place and y is the digit in the units place. B, therefore, can be expressed as 10y + x. The sum of A and B can be expressed as follows: A + B = 10x + y + 10y + x = 11x + 11y = 11(x + y)
Place value can help you solve tough problems about digits.
Clearly, 11 must be a factor of A + B.
Rounding to the Nearest Place Value Knowing place value is important because the GMAT occasionally requires you to round a number to a specific place value. For example: What is 3.681 rounded to the nearest tenth? First, find the digit located in the specified place value. The digit 6 is in the tenths place. Second, look at the right-digit-neighbor (the digit immediately to the right) of the digit in question. In this case, 8 is the right-digit-neighbor of 6. If the right-digit-neighbor is 5 or greater, round the digit in question UP. But if the right-digit-neighbor is 4 or less, the digit in question remains the same. In this case, since 8 is greater than five, the digit in question (6) must be rounded up to 7. Thus, 3.681 rounded to the nearest tenth equals 3.7. Note that all the digits to the right of the right-digit-neighbor are irrelevant when rounding. In the last example, the digit 1 is not important. Rounding appears on the GMAT in the form of questions like these: If x is the decimal 8.1d5, and x rounded to the nearest tenth is equal to 8.1, which integers could not be the value of d? In order for x to be 8.1 when rounded to the nearest tenth, the right-digit neighbor, d, must be less than 5. Any integer greater than or equal to 5 cannot be the value of d.
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Chapter 1
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Adding Zeroes to Decimals Adding zeroes to the end of a decimal does not change the value of the decimal. For example: 3.6 = 3.60 = 3.6000 & 65.689 = 65.68900 = 65.68900000 Removing zeroes from the end of a decimal does not change the value of the decimal either: 3.600000 = 3.6 & 65.68900000 = 65.689
When you shift the decimal to the right, the number gets bigger. When you shift the decimal to the left, the number gets smaller.
Be careful, however, not to add or remove any zeroes from within a number. Doing so will change the value of the number: 7.01 ≠ 7.1 & 923.01 ≠ 923.001
Powers of 10: Shifting the Decimal Place values continually decrease from left to right by powers of 10. Understanding this can help you understand the following shortcuts for multiplication and division. thousands hundreds tens ones
In words In numbers In powers of ten
tenths hundredths thousandths
1000
100
10
1
.1
.01
.001
103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
10-3
When you multiply any number by a power of ten, move the decimal forward (right) the specified number of places: 3.9742 103 = 3974.2 89.507 10 = 895.07
(Move the decimal forward 3 spaces.) (Move the decimal forward 1 space.)
When you divide any number by a power of ten, move the decimal backward (left) the specified number of places: 4169.2 ÷ 102 = 41.692 89.507 ÷ 10 = 8.9507
(Move the decimal backward 2 spaces.) (Move the decimal backward 1 space.)
Note that if you need to add zeroes in order to shift a decimal, you should do so: 2.57 106 = 2,570,000 14.29 ÷ 105 = .0001429
(In order to move the decimal forward 6 spaces, add four zeroes to the end of the number.) (In order to move the decimal backward 5 spaces, add three zeroes to the beginning of the number.)
Finally, note that negative powers of ten reverse the regular process: 6782.01 10-3 = 6.78201 53.0447 ÷ 10-2 = 5304.47
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ManhattanGMAT Prep 16
the new standard
(Moving the decimal forward by negative 3 spaces means moving it backward by 3 spaces.) (Moving the decimal backward by negative 2 spaces means moving it forward by 2 spaces.)
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
The Last Digit Shortcut Consider this problem: What is the units digit of (5)2(9)2(4)3? In this problem, you can use the Last Digit Shortcut. Solve the problem step by step. However, only pay attention to the last digit of every intermediate product. Drop any other digits. STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4:
5 5 = 25 9 9 = 81 4 4 4 = 64 5 1 4 = 20
Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 5. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 1. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 4. Multiply the last digits of each of the products.
The units digit of the final product is 0.
Use the Heavy Division Shortcut when you need an approximate answer.
The Heavy Division Shortcut Some division problems involving decimals can look rather complex. Often on the GMAT, you only need to find an approximate solution in order to answer a question. In these cases, you should save yourself time by using the heavy division shortcut. This shortcut employs the decimal-shifting rules you just learned. What is 1,530,794 ÷ (31.49 104) to the nearest whole number? Since we are looking for an estimate, we can use the heavy division shortcut. 1,530,794 4 31.49 10
Step 1: Set up the division problem in fraction form: Step 2: Rewrite the problem, eliminating powers of 10: Step 3: Your goal is to get a single digit to the left of the decimal in the denominator. In this problem, you need to move the decimal point backward 5 spaces. You can do this to the denominator as long as you do the same thing to the numerator.
1,530,794 314,900
1,530,794 15.30794 = 314,900 3.14900
Now you have the single digit 3 to the left of the decimal in the denominator. 15.30794 15 =5 3.14900 3
Step 4: Focus only on the whole number parts of the numerator and denominator and solve. An approximate answer to the complex division problem is 5.
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
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Chapter 1
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Decimal Operations ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION To add or subtract decimals, make sure to line up the decimal points. Then add zeroes to make the right sides of the decimals the same length. 10 ⴚ .063
4.319 + 221.8 Line up the decimal points and add zeroes. The rules for decimal operations are different for each operation.
4.319 + 221.800 226.119
Line up the decimal points and add zeroes.
10.000 .063 9.937
Addition & Subtraction: Line up the decimal points!
MULTIPLICATION To multiply decimals, ignore the decimal point until the end. Just multiply the numbers as you would if they were whole numbers. Then count the total number of digits to the right of the decimal point in the factors. The product should have the same number of digits to the right of the decimal point. .02 × 1.4
Multiply normally:
14 2 28
There are 3 digits to the right of the decimal point in the factors (0 and 2 in the first factor and 4 in the second factor). Therefore, move the decimal point 3 places to the left in the product: 28 → .028 Multiplication: Conserve digits to the right of the decimal point!
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ManhattanGMAT Prep 18
the new standard
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
DIVISION If there is a decimal point in the dividend (the inner number) only, you can simply bring the decimal point up and divide normally. Ex. 12.42 3 = 4.14
4.14 312.4 2 12 04 3 12
However, if there is a decimal point in the divisor (the outer number), you should shift the decimal point in both the divisor and the dividend to make the divisor a whole number. Then, bring the decimal point up and divide. Ex: 12.42 .3 → 124.2 3 = 41.4
41.4 3124.2 12 04 3 12
Move the decimal one space to the right to make .3 a whole number. Then, move the decimal one space in 12.42 to make it 124.2.
Remember, in order to divide decimals, you must make the OUTER number a whole number by shifting the decimal point.
You can always simplify division problems that involve decimals by shifting the decimal point in both the divisor and the dividend, even when the division problem is expressed as a fraction: .0045 45 ⎯=⎯ .09 900
Move the decimal 4 spaces to the right to make both the numerator and the denominator whole numbers.
Note that this is essentially the same process as simplifying a fraction. You are simply multiplying the numerator and denominator of the fraction by a power of tenin this case, 104, or 10,000.
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
19
IN ACTION
DIGITS & DECIMALS PROBLEM SET
Chapter 1
Problem Set Solve each problem, applying the concepts and rules you learned in this section. 1.
What is the units digit of (2)5(3)3(4)2?
2.
What is the sum of all the possible 3-digit numbers that can be constructed using the digits 3, 4, and 5, if each digit can be used only once in each number?
3.
In the decimal, 2.4d7, d represents a digit from 0-9. If the value of the decimal rounded to the nearest tenth is less than 2.5, what are the possible values of d?
4.
If k is an integer, and if .02468 10k is greater than 10,000, what is the least possible value of k?
5.
Which integer values of b would give the number 2002 ÷ 10-b a value between 1 and 100?
6.
4,509,982,344 Estimate: 5.342 104
7.
Simplify: (4.5 2 + 6.6) ÷ .003
8.
Simplify: (4 10-2) (2.5 10-3)
9.
What is 4,563,021 ÷ 105, rounded to the nearest whole number?
10.
Simplify: (.08)2 ÷ .4
11.
If k is an integer, and if 422.93 × 10k is less than 3, what is the greatest possible value of k?
12.
Simplify: [8 (1.08 + 6.9)]2
13.
Which integer values of j would give the number 3,712 10 j a value between 100 and 1?
14. 15.
⎛ 66 ⎞6 What is the units digit of ⎜ ⎯ ⎟? ⎝ 65 ⎠ .00081 Simplify: .09
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
21
IN ACTION ANSWER KEY
DIGITS & DECIMALS SOLUTIONS
Chapter 1
1. 4: Use the Last Digit Shortcut, ignoring all digits but the last in any intermediate products: STEP ONE: 25 = 32 STEP TWO: 33 = 27 STEP THREE: 42 = 16 STEP FOUR: 2 7 6 = 84
Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 2. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 7. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 6. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 4.
2. 2664: There are 6 ways in which to arrange these digits: 345, 354, 435, 453, 534, and 543. Notice that each digit appears twice in the hundreds column, twice in the tens column, and twice in the ones column. Therefore, you can use your knowledge of place value to find the sum quickly: 100(24) + 10(24) + (24) = 2400 + 240 + 24 = 2664. 3. {0, 1, 2, 3, 4}: If d is 5 or greater, the decimal rounded to the nearest tenth will be 2.5. 4. 6: Multiplying .02468 by a positive power of ten will shift the decimal point to the right. Simply shift the decimal point to the right until the result is greater than 10,000. Keep track of how many times you shift the decimal point. Shifting the decimal point 5 times results in 2,468. This is still less than 10,000. Shifting one more place yields 24,680, which is greater than 10,000. 5. {ⴚ2, ⴚ3}: In order to give 2002 a value between 1 and 100, we must shift the decimal point to change the number to 2.002 or 20.02. This requires a shift of either two or three places to the left. Remember that, while multiplication shifts the decimal point to the right, division shifts it to the left. To shift the decimal point 2 places to the left, we would divide by 102. To shift it 3 places to the left, we would divide by 103. Therefore, the exponent b = {2, 3}, and b = {2, 3}. 6. 90,000: Use the Heavy Division Shortcut to estimate: 4,509,982,344 4,500,000,000 450,000 = = = 90,000 53,420 50,000 5 7. 5,200: Use the order of operations, PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication & Division, Addition and Subtraction) to simplify. 9 + 6.6 15.6 15,600 = = = 5,200 .003 .003 3 8. .0375: First, rewrite the numbers in standard notation by shifting the decimal point. Then, add zeroes, line up the decimal points, and subtract. .0400 .0025 .0375 9. 46: To divide by a positive power of 10, shift the decimal point to the left. This yields 45.63021. To round to the nearest whole number, look at the tenths place. The digit in the tenths place, 6, is more than five. Therefore, the number is closest to 46.
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
23
Reading Comprehension, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-6-8 Retail: $26
Geometry, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-4-4 Retail: $26
Critical Reasoning, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-5-1 Retail: $26
Equations, Inequalities, & VIC's, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-2-0 Retail: $26
Word Translations, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-3-7 Retail: $26
Sentence Correction, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-7-5 Retail: $26
Number Properties, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-0-6 Retail: $26
Fractions, Decimals, & Percents, 2007 Edition ISBN: 978-0-9790175-1-3 Retail: $26
FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, & PERCENTS Math Preparation Guide This guide provides an in-depth look at the variety of GMAT questions that test your knowledge of fractions, decimals, and percents. Learn to see the connections among these part-whole relationships and practice implementing strategic shortcuts.
Fractions, Decimals, and Percents GMAT Preparation Guide, 2007 Edition 10-digit International Standard Book Number: 0-9790175-1-3 13-digit International Standard Book Number: 978-0-9790175-1-3 Copyright © 2007 MG Prep, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution—without the prior written permission of the publisher, MG Prep Inc. Note: GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test, Graduate Management Admission Council, and GMAC are all registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council which neither sponsors nor is affiliated in any way with this product.
8 GUIDE INSTRUCTIONAL SERIES
g
Math GMAT Preparation Guides Number Properties (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-0-6) Fractions, Decimals, & Percents (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-1-3) Equations, Inequalities, & VIC’s (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-2-0) Word Translations (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-3-7) Geometry (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-4-4)
Verbal GMAT Preparation Guides Critical Reasoning (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-5-1) Reading Comprehension (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-6-8) Sentence Correction (ISBN: 978-0-9790175-7-5)
HOW OUR GMAT PREP BOOKS ARE DIFFERENT One of our core beliefs at Manhattan GMAT is that a curriculum should be more than just a guidebook of tricks and tips. Scoring well on the GMAT requires a curriculum that builds true content knowledge and understanding. Skim through this guide and this is what you will see:
You will not find page after page of guessing techniques. Instead, you will find a highly organized and structured guide that actually teaches you the content you need to know to do well on the GMAT.
You will find many more pages-per-topic than in all-in-one tomes. Each chapter covers one specific topic area in-depth, explaining key concepts, detailing in-depth strategies, and building specific skills through Manhattan GMAT’s In-Action problem sets (with comprehensive explanations). Why are there 8 guides? Each of the 8 books (5 Math, 3 Verbal) covers a major content area in extensive depth, allowing you to delve into each topic in great detail. In addition, you may purchase only those guides that pertain to those areas in which you need to improve.
This guide is challenging - it asks you to do more, not less. It starts with the fundamental skills, but does not end there; it also includes the most advanced content that many other prep books ignore. As the average GMAT score required to gain admission to top business schools continues to rise, this guide, together with the 6 computer adaptive online practice exams and bonus question bank included with your purchase, provides test-takers with the depth and volume of advanced material essential for achieving the highest scores, given the GMAT’s computer adaptive format.
This guide is ambitious - developing mastery is its goal. Developed by Manhattan GMAT’s staff of REAL teachers (all of whom have 99th percentile official GMAT scores), our ambitious curriculum seeks to provide test-takers of all levels with an in-depth and carefully tailored approach that enables our students to achieve mastery. If you are looking to learn more than just the "process of elimination" and if you want to develop skills, strategies, and a confident approach to any problem that you may see on the GMAT, then our sophisticated preparation guides are the tools to get you there.
5
*
ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
1. DIGITS & DECIMALS In Action Problems Solutions
2. FRACTIONS In Action Problems Solutions
3. PERCENTS In Action Problems Solutions
4. FDP’s In Action Problems Solutions
5. STRATEGIES FOR DATA SUFFICIENCY
11 21 23
25 39 41
43 51 53
57 61 63
67
Sample Data Sufficiency Rephrasing
71
6. OFFICIAL GUIDE PROBLEM SETS
77
Problem Solving List Data Sufficiency List
80 81
g
TABLE OF CONTENTS
g
Chapter 1 of
FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, & PERCENTS
DIGITS & DECIMALS
g
In This Chapter . . . • Place Value • Using Place Value on the GMAT • Rounding to the Nearest Place Value • Adding Zeroes to Decimals • Powers of 10: Shifting the Decimal • The Last Digit Shortcut • The Heavy Division Shortcut • Decimal Operations
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
DECIMALS GMAT math goes beyond an understanding of the properties of integers or whole numbers. The GMAT also tests your ability to understand the numbers that fall in between the whole numbers. These numbers are called decimals. For example, the decimal 6.3 falls between the integers 6 and 7.
4
6 6.3
5
7
8
You can use a number line to decide between which whole numbers a decimal falls.
Some other examples of decimals include: Decimals less than 1: Decimals between 1 and 0: Decimals between 0 and 1: Decimals greater than 1:
3.65, 12.01, 145.9 .65, .8912, .076 .65, .8912, .076 3.65, 12.01, 145.9
Note that an integer can be expressed as a decimal by adding the decimal point and the number 0. For example: 8 = 8.0
123 = 123.0
400 = 400.0
DIGITS Every number is composed of digits. There are only ten digits in our number system: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The term digit refers to one building block of a number; it does not refer to a number itself. For example: 356 is a number composed of three digits: 3, 5, and 6. Numbers are often classified by the number of digits they contain. For example: 2, 7, and 8 are each single-digit numbers (they are each composed of one digit). 43, 63, and 14 are each double-digit numbers (composed of two digits). 100, 765 and 890 are each triple-digit numbers (composed of three digits). 500,000 and 468,024 are each six-digit numbers (composed of six digits). 789,526,622 is a nine-digit number (composed of nine digits). Note that decimals can be classified by the number of digits they contain as well: 3.4 is a number that contains two digits. 7.05 is a number that contains three digits. 106.7559 is a number that contains seven digits. *
ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
13
Chapter 1
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Place Value Every digit in a number has a particular place value depending on its location within the number. For example, in the number 452, the digit 2 is in the ones (or units) place, the digit 5 is in the tens place, and the digit 4 is in the hundreds place. The name of each location corresponds to the “value” of that place. Thus: 2 is worth two units, or 2. 5 is worth five tens, or 50. 4 is worth four hundreds, or 400.
You should memorize the names of all the place values.
6 H U N D R E D
9 T E N
B I L L I O N S
B I L L I O N S
2 O N E
B I L L I O N S
5 H U N D R E D
6 T E N
M I L L I O N S
M I L L I O N S
7 O N E
M I L L I O N S
8 H U N D R E D
9 1 T E N
T H O U S A N D S
T H O U S A N D S
0 H U N D R E D S
2 T E N S
T H O U S A N D S
3 . U N I T S
8 T E N T H S
3 H U N D R E D T H S
4 T H O U S A N D T H S
7 T E N T H O U S A N D T H S
The chart to the left analyzes the place value of all the digits in the number: 692,567,891,023.8347 Notice that the place values to the left of the decimal all end in “-s”, while the place values to the right of the decimal all end in “-ths.” This is because the suffix “-ths” gives these places (to the right of the decimal) a fractional value.
Let's analyze the end of the preceding number: .8347 8 8 is in the tenths place, giving it a value of 8 tenths, or ⎯⎯ . 10 3 3 is in the hundredths place, giving it a value of 3 hundredths, or ⎯ . 100 4 4 is in the thousandths place, giving it a value of 4 thousandths, or ⎯ . 1000 7 7 is in the ten thousandths place, giving it a value of 7 ten thousandths, or ⎯ . 10,000 To use a concrete example, .8 means eight tenths of one dollar, which would be 8 dimes or 80 cents. Additionally, .03 means three hundredths of one dollar, which would be 3 pennies or 3 cents.
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ManhattanGMAT Prep 14
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DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
Using Place Value on the GMAT You will never be asked to find the digit in the tens place on the GMAT. However, you will need to use place value to solve fairly difficult GMAT problems. Consider the following problem: A and B are both two-digit numbers. If A and B contain the same digits, but in reverse order, what integer must be a factor of (A + B)? To solve this problem, assign two variables to be the digits in A and B: x and y. Using your knowledge of place value, you can express A as 10x + y, where x is the digit in the tens place and y is the digit in the units place. B, therefore, can be expressed as 10y + x. The sum of A and B can be expressed as follows: A + B = 10x + y + 10y + x = 11x + 11y = 11(x + y)
Place value can help you solve tough problems about digits.
Clearly, 11 must be a factor of A + B.
Rounding to the Nearest Place Value Knowing place value is important because the GMAT occasionally requires you to round a number to a specific place value. For example: What is 3.681 rounded to the nearest tenth? First, find the digit located in the specified place value. The digit 6 is in the tenths place. Second, look at the right-digit-neighbor (the digit immediately to the right) of the digit in question. In this case, 8 is the right-digit-neighbor of 6. If the right-digit-neighbor is 5 or greater, round the digit in question UP. But if the right-digit-neighbor is 4 or less, the digit in question remains the same. In this case, since 8 is greater than five, the digit in question (6) must be rounded up to 7. Thus, 3.681 rounded to the nearest tenth equals 3.7. Note that all the digits to the right of the right-digit-neighbor are irrelevant when rounding. In the last example, the digit 1 is not important. Rounding appears on the GMAT in the form of questions like these: If x is the decimal 8.1d5, and x rounded to the nearest tenth is equal to 8.1, which integers could not be the value of d? In order for x to be 8.1 when rounded to the nearest tenth, the right-digit neighbor, d, must be less than 5. Any integer greater than or equal to 5 cannot be the value of d.
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Chapter 1
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Adding Zeroes to Decimals Adding zeroes to the end of a decimal does not change the value of the decimal. For example: 3.6 = 3.60 = 3.6000 & 65.689 = 65.68900 = 65.68900000 Removing zeroes from the end of a decimal does not change the value of the decimal either: 3.600000 = 3.6 & 65.68900000 = 65.689
When you shift the decimal to the right, the number gets bigger. When you shift the decimal to the left, the number gets smaller.
Be careful, however, not to add or remove any zeroes from within a number. Doing so will change the value of the number: 7.01 ≠ 7.1 & 923.01 ≠ 923.001
Powers of 10: Shifting the Decimal Place values continually decrease from left to right by powers of 10. Understanding this can help you understand the following shortcuts for multiplication and division. thousands hundreds tens ones
In words In numbers In powers of ten
tenths hundredths thousandths
1000
100
10
1
.1
.01
.001
103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
10-3
When you multiply any number by a power of ten, move the decimal forward (right) the specified number of places: 3.9742 103 = 3974.2 89.507 10 = 895.07
(Move the decimal forward 3 spaces.) (Move the decimal forward 1 space.)
When you divide any number by a power of ten, move the decimal backward (left) the specified number of places: 4169.2 ÷ 102 = 41.692 89.507 ÷ 10 = 8.9507
(Move the decimal backward 2 spaces.) (Move the decimal backward 1 space.)
Note that if you need to add zeroes in order to shift a decimal, you should do so: 2.57 106 = 2,570,000 14.29 ÷ 105 = .0001429
(In order to move the decimal forward 6 spaces, add four zeroes to the end of the number.) (In order to move the decimal backward 5 spaces, add three zeroes to the beginning of the number.)
Finally, note that negative powers of ten reverse the regular process: 6782.01 10-3 = 6.78201 53.0447 ÷ 10-2 = 5304.47
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ManhattanGMAT Prep 16
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(Moving the decimal forward by negative 3 spaces means moving it backward by 3 spaces.) (Moving the decimal backward by negative 2 spaces means moving it forward by 2 spaces.)
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
The Last Digit Shortcut Consider this problem: What is the units digit of (5)2(9)2(4)3? In this problem, you can use the Last Digit Shortcut. Solve the problem step by step. However, only pay attention to the last digit of every intermediate product. Drop any other digits. STEP 1: STEP 2: STEP 3: STEP 4:
5 5 = 25 9 9 = 81 4 4 4 = 64 5 1 4 = 20
Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 5. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 1. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 4. Multiply the last digits of each of the products.
The units digit of the final product is 0.
Use the Heavy Division Shortcut when you need an approximate answer.
The Heavy Division Shortcut Some division problems involving decimals can look rather complex. Often on the GMAT, you only need to find an approximate solution in order to answer a question. In these cases, you should save yourself time by using the heavy division shortcut. This shortcut employs the decimal-shifting rules you just learned. What is 1,530,794 ÷ (31.49 104) to the nearest whole number? Since we are looking for an estimate, we can use the heavy division shortcut. 1,530,794 4 31.49 10
Step 1: Set up the division problem in fraction form: Step 2: Rewrite the problem, eliminating powers of 10: Step 3: Your goal is to get a single digit to the left of the decimal in the denominator. In this problem, you need to move the decimal point backward 5 spaces. You can do this to the denominator as long as you do the same thing to the numerator.
1,530,794 314,900
1,530,794 15.30794 = 314,900 3.14900
Now you have the single digit 3 to the left of the decimal in the denominator. 15.30794 15 =5 3.14900 3
Step 4: Focus only on the whole number parts of the numerator and denominator and solve. An approximate answer to the complex division problem is 5.
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Chapter 1
DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Decimal Operations ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION To add or subtract decimals, make sure to line up the decimal points. Then add zeroes to make the right sides of the decimals the same length. 10 ⴚ .063
4.319 + 221.8 Line up the decimal points and add zeroes. The rules for decimal operations are different for each operation.
4.319 + 221.800 226.119
Line up the decimal points and add zeroes.
10.000 .063 9.937
Addition & Subtraction: Line up the decimal points!
MULTIPLICATION To multiply decimals, ignore the decimal point until the end. Just multiply the numbers as you would if they were whole numbers. Then count the total number of digits to the right of the decimal point in the factors. The product should have the same number of digits to the right of the decimal point. .02 × 1.4
Multiply normally:
14 2 28
There are 3 digits to the right of the decimal point in the factors (0 and 2 in the first factor and 4 in the second factor). Therefore, move the decimal point 3 places to the left in the product: 28 → .028 Multiplication: Conserve digits to the right of the decimal point!
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ManhattanGMAT Prep 18
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DIGITS & DECIMALS STRATEGY
Chapter 1
DIVISION If there is a decimal point in the dividend (the inner number) only, you can simply bring the decimal point up and divide normally. Ex. 12.42 3 = 4.14
4.14 312.4 2 12 04 3 12
However, if there is a decimal point in the divisor (the outer number), you should shift the decimal point in both the divisor and the dividend to make the divisor a whole number. Then, bring the decimal point up and divide. Ex: 12.42 .3 → 124.2 3 = 41.4
41.4 3124.2 12 04 3 12
Move the decimal one space to the right to make .3 a whole number. Then, move the decimal one space in 12.42 to make it 124.2.
Remember, in order to divide decimals, you must make the OUTER number a whole number by shifting the decimal point.
You can always simplify division problems that involve decimals by shifting the decimal point in both the divisor and the dividend, even when the division problem is expressed as a fraction: .0045 45 ⎯=⎯ .09 900
Move the decimal 4 spaces to the right to make both the numerator and the denominator whole numbers.
Note that this is essentially the same process as simplifying a fraction. You are simply multiplying the numerator and denominator of the fraction by a power of tenin this case, 104, or 10,000.
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IN ACTION
DIGITS & DECIMALS PROBLEM SET
Chapter 1
Problem Set Solve each problem, applying the concepts and rules you learned in this section. 1.
What is the units digit of (2)5(3)3(4)2?
2.
What is the sum of all the possible 3-digit numbers that can be constructed using the digits 3, 4, and 5, if each digit can be used only once in each number?
3.
In the decimal, 2.4d7, d represents a digit from 0-9. If the value of the decimal rounded to the nearest tenth is less than 2.5, what are the possible values of d?
4.
If k is an integer, and if .02468 10k is greater than 10,000, what is the least possible value of k?
5.
Which integer values of b would give the number 2002 ÷ 10-b a value between 1 and 100?
6.
4,509,982,344 Estimate: 5.342 104
7.
Simplify: (4.5 2 + 6.6) ÷ .003
8.
Simplify: (4 10-2) (2.5 10-3)
9.
What is 4,563,021 ÷ 105, rounded to the nearest whole number?
10.
Simplify: (.08)2 ÷ .4
11.
If k is an integer, and if 422.93 × 10k is less than 3, what is the greatest possible value of k?
12.
Simplify: [8 (1.08 + 6.9)]2
13.
Which integer values of j would give the number 3,712 10 j a value between 100 and 1?
14. 15.
⎛ 66 ⎞6 What is the units digit of ⎜ ⎯ ⎟? ⎝ 65 ⎠ .00081 Simplify: .09
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
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IN ACTION ANSWER KEY
DIGITS & DECIMALS SOLUTIONS
Chapter 1
1. 4: Use the Last Digit Shortcut, ignoring all digits but the last in any intermediate products: STEP ONE: 25 = 32 STEP TWO: 33 = 27 STEP THREE: 42 = 16 STEP FOUR: 2 7 6 = 84
Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 2. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 7. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 6. Drop the tens digit and keep only the last digit: 4.
2. 2664: There are 6 ways in which to arrange these digits: 345, 354, 435, 453, 534, and 543. Notice that each digit appears twice in the hundreds column, twice in the tens column, and twice in the ones column. Therefore, you can use your knowledge of place value to find the sum quickly: 100(24) + 10(24) + (24) = 2400 + 240 + 24 = 2664. 3. {0, 1, 2, 3, 4}: If d is 5 or greater, the decimal rounded to the nearest tenth will be 2.5. 4. 6: Multiplying .02468 by a positive power of ten will shift the decimal point to the right. Simply shift the decimal point to the right until the result is greater than 10,000. Keep track of how many times you shift the decimal point. Shifting the decimal point 5 times results in 2,468. This is still less than 10,000. Shifting one more place yields 24,680, which is greater than 10,000. 5. {ⴚ2, ⴚ3}: In order to give 2002 a value between 1 and 100, we must shift the decimal point to change the number to 2.002 or 20.02. This requires a shift of either two or three places to the left. Remember that, while multiplication shifts the decimal point to the right, division shifts it to the left. To shift the decimal point 2 places to the left, we would divide by 102. To shift it 3 places to the left, we would divide by 103. Therefore, the exponent b = {2, 3}, and b = {2, 3}. 6. 90,000: Use the Heavy Division Shortcut to estimate: 4,509,982,344 4,500,000,000 450,000 = = = 90,000 53,420 50,000 5 7. 5,200: Use the order of operations, PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication & Division, Addition and Subtraction) to simplify. 9 + 6.6 15.6 15,600 = = = 5,200 .003 .003 3 8. .0375: First, rewrite the numbers in standard notation by shifting the decimal point. Then, add zeroes, line up the decimal points, and subtract. .0400 .0025 .0375 9. 46: To divide by a positive power of 10, shift the decimal point to the left. This yields 45.63021. To round to the nearest whole number, look at the tenths place. The digit in the tenths place, 6, is more than five. Therefore, the number is closest to 46.
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ManhattanGMAT Prep the new standard
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