CBSE · NCERT · Class 10 Maths · Chapter 1

NCERT Solutions: Class 10 Maths Chapter 1 - Real Numbers

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Chapter-wise NCERT intext questions and exercise answers for Real Numbers, grounded in the official textbook.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT textbook; answers were grounded against the chapter's content during generation. Items needing review are marked.
Sections in this chapter
Exercise 1.1 7Exercise 1.2 3
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1Exercise 1.17 questions
Q.1Express each number as a product of its prime factors: (i) 140 (ii) 156 (iii) 3825 (iv) 5005 (v) 7429v
Answer:

(i) $140 = 2^2 \times 5 \times 7$
(ii) $156 = 2^2 \times 3 \times 13$
(iii) $3825 = 3^2 \times 5^2 \times 17$
(iv) $5005 = 5 \times 7 \times 11 \times 13$
(v) $7429 = 17 \times 19 \times 23$

Q.2Find the LCM and HCF of the following pairs of integers and verify that LCM × HCF = product of the two numbers: (i) 26 and 91 (ii) 510 and 92 (iii) 336 and 54v
Solution

(i) $26 = 2 \times 13$, $91 = 7 \times 13$, so HCF $= 13$ and LCM $= 2 \times 7 \times 13 = 182$.
(ii) $510 = 2 \times 3 \times 5 \times 17$, $92 = 2^2 \times 23$, so HCF $= 2$ and LCM $= 2^2 \times 3 \times 5 \times 17 \times 23 = 23460$.
(iii) $336 = 2^4 \times 3 \times 7$, $54 = 2 \times 3^3$, so HCF $= 2 \times 3 = 6$ and LCM $= 2^4 \times 3^3 \times 7 = 3024$.

Answer:

(i) HCF $= 13$, LCM $= 182$; check $13 \times 182 = 2366 = 26 \times 91$.
(ii) HCF $= 2$, LCM $= 23460$; check $2 \times 23460 = 46920 = 510 \times 92$.
(iii) HCF $= 6$, LCM $= 3024$; check $6 \times 3024 = 18144 = 336 \times 54$.

Q.3Find the LCM and HCF of the following integers by applying the prime factorisation method: (i) 12, 15 and 21 (ii) 17, 23 and 29 (iii) 8, 9 and 25v
Solution

(i) $12 = 2^2 \times 3$, $15 = 3 \times 5$, $21 = 3 \times 7$; HCF $= 3$, LCM $= 2^2 \times 3 \times 5 \times 7 = 420$.
(ii) $17, 23, 29$ are all primes; HCF $= 1$, LCM $= 17 \times 23 \times 29 = 11339$.
(iii) $8 = 2^3$, $9 = 3^2$, $25 = 5^2$; HCF $= 1$, LCM $= 2^3 \times 3^2 \times 5^2 = 1800$.

Answer:

(i) HCF $= 3$, LCM $= 420$.
(ii) HCF $= 1$, LCM $= 11339$.
(iii) HCF $= 1$, LCM $= 1800$.

Q.4Given that HCF (306, 657) = 9, find LCM (306, 657).v
Solution

For two numbers, LCM $\times$ HCF $=$ product of the numbers, so LCM $= \dfrac{306 \times 657}{\text{HCF}} = \dfrac{201042}{9} = 22338$.

Answer:

LCM $(306, 657) = 22338$.

Q.5Check whether $6^n$ can end with the digit 0 for any natural number $n$.v
Solution

If a number ends in 0, it is divisible by $10 = 2 \times 5$, so its prime factorisation must contain both 2 and 5. But $6^n = (2 \times 3)^n = 2^n \times 3^n$ has no factor of 5. By the uniqueness of prime factorisation, $6^n$ is never divisible by 5, so it can never end with the digit 0.

Answer:

No. $6^n$ can never end with the digit 0 for any natural number $n$.

Q.6Explain why $7 \times 11 \times 13 + 13$ and $7 \times 6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 + 5$ are composite numbers.v
Answer:

Both numbers are composite because each can be written as a product of two factors greater than 1.
For the first: $7 \times 11 \times 13 + 13 = 13 \times (7 \times 11 + 1) = 13 \times 78$, so 13 is a factor besides 1 and itself.
For the second: $7 \times 6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 + 5 = 5 \times (7 \times 6 \times 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 + 1) = 5 \times 1009$, so 5 is a factor besides 1 and itself.
Since each number has a factor other than 1 and itself, both are composite.

Q.7There is a circular path around a sports field. Sonia takes 18 minutes to drive one round of the field, while Ravi takes 12 minutes for the same. Suppose they both start at the same point and at the same time, and go in the same direction. After how many minutes will they meet again at the starting point?v
Solution

They meet at the starting point after a time that is a common multiple of 18 and 12; the earliest such time is the LCM. $18 = 2 \times 3^2$ and $12 = 2^2 \times 3$, so LCM $= 2^2 \times 3^2 = 36$. Hence they meet again after 36 minutes.

Answer:

They will meet again at the starting point after 36 minutes.

2Exercise 1.23 questions
Q.1Prove that $\sqrt{5}$ is irrational.v
Answer:

Suppose, to the contrary, that $\sqrt{5}$ is rational. Then $\sqrt{5} = \dfrac{a}{b}$ for some coprime integers $a$ and $b$ with $b \neq 0$. So $\sqrt{5}\,b = a$, and squaring gives $5b^2 = a^2$. Hence 5 divides $a^2$, and since 5 is prime, 5 divides $a$. Write $a = 5c$. Then $5b^2 = 25c^2$, i.e. $b^2 = 5c^2$, so 5 divides $b^2$ and therefore 5 divides $b$. Thus 5 is a common factor of $a$ and $b$, contradicting that they are coprime. So our assumption is false, and $\sqrt{5}$ is irrational.

Q.2Prove that $3 + 2\sqrt{5}$ is irrational.v
Answer:

Suppose, to the contrary, that $3 + 2\sqrt{5}$ is rational. Then $3 + 2\sqrt{5} = \dfrac{a}{b}$ for some coprime integers $a, b$ with $b \neq 0$. Rearranging, $2\sqrt{5} = \dfrac{a}{b} - 3 = \dfrac{a - 3b}{b}$, so $\sqrt{5} = \dfrac{a - 3b}{2b}$. Since $a$ and $b$ are integers, the right-hand side is rational, which would make $\sqrt{5}$ rational. But $\sqrt{5}$ is irrational — a contradiction. Hence $3 + 2\sqrt{5}$ is irrational.

Q.3Prove that the following are irrational: (i) $\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ (ii) $7\sqrt{5}$ (iii) $6 + \sqrt{2}$v
Answer:

In each part we use that $\sqrt{2}$ and $\sqrt{5}$ are irrational, and argue by contradiction.
(i) If $\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ were rational, say $\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}} = r$, then $\sqrt{2} = \dfrac{1}{r}$ would be rational — a contradiction. So $\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}$ is irrational.
(ii) If $7\sqrt{5}$ were rational, say $7\sqrt{5} = r$, then $\sqrt{5} = \dfrac{r}{7}$ would be rational — a contradiction. So $7\sqrt{5}$ is irrational.
(iii) If $6 + \sqrt{2}$ were rational, say $6 + \sqrt{2} = r$, then $\sqrt{2} = r - 6$ would be rational — a contradiction. So $6 + \sqrt{2}$ is irrational.