Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
For which of these numbers is there a natural number that makes the number end in the digit ? Give a reason for each.
Every composite number is a product of primes in exactly one way, apart from the order (the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic). Find the primes with a factor tree or by repeated division, and write repeated primes as powers. A number ends in only if its primes include both and .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The primes of each base. , , , .
Step 2. Raise to the power . The primes stay the same: has only ; has and ; has and ; has and .
Step 3. Decide. Only has both a and a . By the uniqueness of prime factorisation, the others can never gain the missing prime.
Answer: only (c): ends in for every . and have no , and has no .
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