The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: 2500
The image shows a handwritten arithmetic problem: 12500:5 =. In mathematics, the colon symbol (:) is frequently used to represent division, so the expression is asking for the result of 12500 divided by 5. The correct answer to this calculation is 2500.
There are several effective methods to solve this problem. One of the simplest mental strategies is to break the large number, 12500, into smaller, more manageable parts. You can think of 12500 as the sum of 10000 and 2500. Both of these numbers are easily divisible by 5. First, dividing 10000 by 5 gives you 2000. Second, dividing 2500 by 5 gives you 500. By adding these two results together (2000 + 500), you arrive at the final answer of 2500.
Another useful technique involves simplifying the problem by temporarily ignoring the zeros. You can first focus on dividing 125 by 5. A quick calculation shows that 125 divided by 5 is 25. Since the original number was 12500 (which is 125 multiplied by 100), you must account for the two zeros that were set aside. By appending these two zeros to your result of 25, you get the correct final answer, 2500. This method leverages an understanding of place value and how it interacts with multiplication and division.
For a more formal approach, one could use the long division algorithm. You would begin by dividing 5 into the first two digits of the dividend, 12. Five goes into 12 two times (2 x 5 = 10), leaving a remainder of 2. You then bring down the next digit, 5, to form the number 25. Five goes into 25 exactly five times (5 x 5 = 25), with no remainder. Finally, you bring down the remaining two zeros. Since 5 goes into 0 zero times, you place two zeros at the end of your quotient. This confirms that 12500 divided by 5 is indeed 2500.
