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Is \(√p\) a non-integer?


Statement 1:

All squares can be broken down to even powers of prime factors, or a product of squares.
Split p into squares, \(r * 10^r = r * 10 * 10^{r-1}\). \(10^{r-1}\) is a square since \(r - 1\) is even. Then the concern is whether the rest of the factors, \(r * 10\) can be a square. \(r\) needs to have a factor of 2 since 10 has a factor of 2, to complete the square. Thus \(r\) has to be even if we want to complete the square, then there is no odd \(r\) that can make \(r * 10\) and \(r * 10^r\) a square. Sufficient.


I'm finding this really hard to understand.

So \(10^{r-1}\) is a perfect square because the power is even, right? But then when we look at the other two numbers, 10 and r, the prime factors of 10 are \(5^{1}\) and \(2^{1}\).... which would mean that r would have to also have an odd power of both 5 and 2 in order to make the whole term a square. And we have no way of knowing what r is or how many powers of 5 or 2 it could have.... so how is the answer A?
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Question: is p a perfect square?

(1) \(p = r * 10^r\)

\(p = r * 10^r\), which also means that \(p = r * (2*5)^r = r * 2^r * 5^r\)
In order to be a perfect square, p has to consist out prime factors with only even exponents

As we know that r is odd, the exponents of 2 and 5 are odd as well.
Therefor, r needs to have at least 2 and 5 as prime factors, so that the exponents of 2 and 5 will become even (remember: odd number + 1 = even number).

r can not have 2 as a prime factor as it is an odd number.

Therefor p CAN'T be an an perfect square.

SUFFICIENT

(2) \(p = 9 * 10^s\)

\(p = 9 * 10^s = 3^2 * 10^s\)

3 already has an even exponent, so that 10 needs an even exponent as well.
Therefor p is a perfect square when s = even.
When s = odd, p IS NOT a perfect square.

UNSUFF

There the answer ist A imo
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Is \(√p\) a non-integer? = Is p a perfect square?

(1) \(p = r * 10^r\), where r is a positive odd integer.

Prime factorization = \(r * 5^r * 2^r\)
Since we are told r is a positive odd integer, we can make the conclusion that p is not a perfect square. To be a perfect square each exponent needs to be even.

We can also plug in numbers. Let r = 1

1 * 10 = 10
10 = not a perfect square.

Sufficient.

(2) \(p = 9 * 10^s\), where s is a positive integer.[/quote]

\(3^2 * 10^s\)

If s is even, then p is a perfect square. Insufficient.
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