Hi dotsoftme,Your factoring is actually correct, and I like that you spotted the common power. The problem is in the very last step, when you read the remainder straight off the reduced fraction.
Here's what you did:
-
2^18 + 2^4 = 2^4 · (2^14 + 1) = 2^4 · 16385- Dividing by
2^7 and cancelling
2^4 top and bottom gives
16385 / 2^3 = 16385 / 8-
16385 = 2048 × 8 + 1, so that reduced fraction leaves remainder
1All true - but that
1 is not the answer to the original question.
The rule you missedWhen you cancel a common factor
k from both the number and the divisor, the remainder gets divided by
k too - so you must
multiply it back at the end.
Why? If a number splits as
a = (divisor)·q + r, then multiplying everything by
k gives
k·a = (k·divisor)·q + k·r. The remainder scales by the same
k.
You cancelled
2^4 = 16, so the real remainder is
1 × 16 = 16. That matches choice
E, and it's exactly the
16 that agrasan and the others got by keeping
2^4 intact as
16/128.
Quick check with small numbersFind the remainder of
20 ÷ 8: it's
4 (since
20 = 2×8 + 4).
Now cancel the common factor
4: you get
5 ÷ 2, remainder
1. Multiply that
1 back by the
4 you cancelled -
4.
So cancelling to simplify is fine - just remember to scale the remainder back up by whatever you cancelled.
Answer: Edotsoftme
when i am trying to solve this question, i am getting asswer as 1
when we add 2 power 18 + 2power 4
and divide it by 2 power 7
common power cancel and answer remains of 16385 / 8 which give reminder 1