Simplify: $839478 \times 625$
Aptitude
Number System
Difficulty: Medium
Choose an option
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A524674750
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B524683750
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C524673750
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D524672750
Answer
Correct Answer: 524673750
Explanation
### Concept & Formula
Multiplying by powers of 5 (like $5, 25, 125, 625$) can be simplified by converting the multiplier into a fraction based on powers of 10. We know that $625 = 5^4$. We can rewrite this as $(\frac{10}{2})^4 = \frac{10000}{16}$.
### Step-by-Step Solution
* **Calculation:** Substitute $625$ with its equivalent fraction $\frac{10000}{16}$:
$$ 839478 \times \left(\frac{10}{2}\right)^4 $$
$$ 839478 \times \frac{10000}{16} $$
* Multiply the numerator first (append four zeros):
$$ \frac{8394780000}{16} $$
* Divide by $16$ (or divide by $2$ four consecutive times):
$$ \frac{8394780000}{16} = 524673750 $$
### Exam Strategy & Shortcut
Whenever multiplying by $625$, append four zeros to the end of the number and divide the result by 16. Dividing by 16 is often much faster and less error-prone than doing a 3-digit multiplication, especially if you halve the number four times in your head.
### Common Pitfall
Students often miss the power-of-10 conversion and try to multiply by 625 directly. While doable, it creates three separate massive lines of addition which eats up valuable time in competitive exams.
### Final Answer
Therefore, the correct answer is **524673750**.