Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) Practice Test

When dividing an even number by an odd number, what type of result can be expected?

1. Even

2. Non-integer

3. Odd

4. Both even and odd

The correct answer is: Non-integer

When dividing an even number by an odd number, the expected result is often a non-integer. This is because even numbers are multiples of 2 and odd numbers are not. When you take an even number and divide it by an odd number, the quotient can result in a fraction or a decimal unless the even number is an exact multiple of the odd number. For example, suppose you divide the even number 4 by the odd number 3. The result is \( \frac{4}{3} \), which is non-integer (specifically, it yields approximately 1.33). In contrast, if you were to divide an even number, like 4, by another even number, say 2, you would get an integer value of 2. This highlights that the result of dividing an even number by an odd number does not yield whole numbers in general scenarios. In summary, dividing an even number by an odd number typically produces a non-integer, aligning with the answer provided.