NCERT Class 10 Maths — Chapter 1

Exercise 1.4: Decimal Expansions of Rational Numbers

You'll figure out whether a fraction gives a terminating or recurring decimal — without actually dividing. The trick is to check the prime factors of the denominator.

terminating decimalsnon-terminating recurring decimalsdecimal expansion
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NCERT Questions
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Practice MCQs
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Key Concepts
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Extra Practice Questions

These questions cover the same concepts as Exercise 1.4. Try solving them to build confidence before or after the textbook exercise.

1

Without actually dividing, determine which of these will have a terminating decimal: 13/3125

A.Terminating
B.Non-terminating repeating
C.Non-terminating non-repeating
D.Cannot determine
2

The HCF of two prime numbers is always:

A.0
B.1
C.2
D.The product of the two primes
3

Find the HCF and LCM of 6, 72, and 120 using prime factorisation.

A.HCF=6, LCM=360
B.HCF=12, LCM=720
C.HCF=6, LCM=720
D.HCF=3, LCM=360
4

The prime factorisation of 56 is:

A.2^3 x 7
B.2^2 x 14
C.4 x 14
D.8 x 7
5

Find the HCF of 867 and 255 using Euclid's division algorithm.

A.51
B.17
C.3
D.85
6

Express 0.\overline{6} as a fraction in simplest form.

A.6/9
B.2/3
C.3/5
D.6/10
7

The number 6n, for any natural number n, can end with the digit:

A.0
B.2
C.6
D.Any even digit
8

Find the largest number that divides 2053 and 967 and leaves remainders 5 and 7 respectively.

A.120
B.128
C.64
D.32
9

Express 0.\overline{47} in the form p/q.

A.47/100
B.47/99
C.47/90
D.47/999
10

Use Euclid's division lemma to show that any positive odd integer is of the form 4q+1 or 4q+3.

A.Take b=2 in Euclid's lemma
B.Take b=4 in Euclid's lemma and exclude even cases
C.Use prime factorisation
D.Use mathematical induction

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Forgetting to simplify the fraction to lowest terms before checking the denominator
  • Not remembering the rule: terminating only if denominator has factors of 2 and 5 only
  • Confusing non-terminating non-recurring (irrational) with non-terminating recurring (rational)

Other Exercises in Chapter 1

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know if a decimal is terminating?

A rational number p/q (in lowest terms) has a terminating decimal if the prime factorisation of q contains only 2s and 5s. If q has any other prime factor, the decimal repeats.

How many questions are in Exercise 1.4?

Exercise 1.4 has 3 questions on determining whether rational numbers have terminating or non-terminating recurring decimal expansions.

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