Question

What is 17 divided by zero?

Answer 1

Hint: Division means to split a given number into equal parts. Here, we have to divide 17 by 0 means we have to split 17 in 0 equal parts. That is not possible, right. To get a clear explaination let us solve the given problem.

Complete step-by-step solutions:
In this question, we have to divide 17 by 0.
So, here dividend will be equal to 17 and the divisor will be equal to 0.
Firstly, division means splitting a number into equal parts or groups.
Example: If there are 9 apples and 3 friends, how can they divide the apples?
The answer is $\dfrac{9}{3} = 3$.
Now, try to divide these 9 apples among 0 friends, how many apples will each one get?
The question does not make any sense, right? No, of course not. We cannot divide something among 0 people and similarly, we cannot divide any number by 0.
Another reason is, if we divide something in equal parts then we should get back the number that is divided by multiplying the equal part with the number of the equal parts.
Here, we are dividing 17 by 0. Suppose we divide 17 by 0 and get an answer as x.
Now, if we multiply x by 0, we should get an answer as 17. But anything multiplied by 0 is 0.
So, we cannot divide any number with 0.

Hence, 17 divided by 0 is undefined.

Note: Note that dividing any number by 0 is not possible as it is undefined, but dividing 0 by any number is possible. For example we can divide 0 by 5 and get answer 0. Also, multiplying any number with 0 or multiplying 0 with any number is possible and it gives answer 0.