FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

What is the result when zero is divided by any number?

1. One

2. Zero

3. Infinity

4. Undefined

The correct answer is: Zero

When zero is divided by any non-zero number, the result is always zero. This is because division can be understood as distributing a number into equal parts. If you are trying to divide zero into any number of parts, there is nothing to distribute, so each part remains zero. In mathematical terms, the operation \(0 \div x\) (where \(x\) is any non-zero number) equals 0. This concept further helps in demonstrating that zero divided by any number maintains its identity of being zero, regardless of the value of the divisor. The other options represent ideas that do not hold in this context: one does not apply since zero is involved; infinity suggests that the result grows endlessly, which is inaccurate; and undefined refers to division by zero itself, where the divisor is zero, leading to indeterminate forms.