Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 10000
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
A chained division by decimals is equivalent to multiplying by their reciprocals. Dividing by a number just under 1 increases the value slightly, and dividing by a very small number (around 0.01) increases it by around two orders of magnitude, guiding us toward the right scale of the answer.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Compute sequentially: (99.999 / 0.99) ≈ 101.0, then divide that by c ≈ 0.0099, which is close to multiplying by ~101. The magnitude suggests a result near ten thousand. Choose the closest option accordingly.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Back-of-the-envelope: 100 / (0.01) = 10000, and our inputs are slightly adjusted from these round anchors, so ~10,000 is very reasonable. The nearest option is 10,000.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Assuming that dividing by 0.99 reduces the value (it actually increases it), or mishandling decimal places in the tiny divisor 0.0099....
Final Answer:
10000
Discussion & Comments