How to find the inverse of a number?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the method to find the inverse of a number, specifically referring to the multiplicative inverse in mathematics. The multiplicative inverse of a number 'a' is typically defined as '1/a'.
Answer
The multiplicative inverse of a number $a$ is $\frac{1}{a}$.
Answer for screen readers
The multiplicative inverse of a number $a$ is given by $\frac{1}{a}$.
Steps to Solve
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Identify the number Determine the number for which you want to find the multiplicative inverse. Let's denote this number as $a$.
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Use the inverse formula The multiplicative inverse can be calculated using the formula:
$$ \text{Multiplicative Inverse} = \frac{1}{a} $$
- Calculate the inverse Now, substitute the value of $a$ into the formula to find its multiplicative inverse. For example, if $a = 5$, then:
$$ \text{Multiplicative Inverse} = \frac{1}{5} $$
- Check your work After calculating the inverse, verify that multiplying the original number by its inverse results in 1. For instance, $5 \times \frac{1}{5} = 1$ confirms the calculation.
The multiplicative inverse of a number $a$ is given by $\frac{1}{a}$.
More Information
The concept of multiplicative inverse is essential in mathematics, particularly in algebra, where it's often used to solve equations. The multiplicative inverse of a number is unique, meaning that each non-zero number has exactly one multiplicative inverse.
Tips
- Forgetting that the multiplicative inverse only exists for non-zero numbers. The number zero does not have a multiplicative inverse because division by zero is undefined.
- Incorrectly calculating the inverse by not properly inverting the number. Always ensure to use $1/a$ as the correct formula.
