1 divided by infinity equals 0 because as the denominator (the number you're dividing by) gets infinitely large, the resulting value approaches zero.
Understanding Division by Infinity
The concept of dividing by infinity can be a bit abstract, but let's break it down:
- Infinity is not a number: It is a concept representing something without any limit or end.
- Division as distribution: Think of division as splitting something into equal parts. So, 1 divided by 2 means you split 1 into 2 equal parts; and 1 divided by 10 means you split 1 into 10 equal parts.
- Increasing the denominator: If you keep increasing the denominator (e.g., 1/2, 1/10, 1/100, 1/1000, and so on), the resulting value becomes smaller and smaller.
The Approach to Zero
As we divide 1 by increasingly larger numbers, we notice a trend:
| Division | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 / 2 | 0.5 |
| 1 / 10 | 0.1 |
| 1 / 100 | 0.01 |
| 1 / 1000 | 0.001 |
| 1 / 1,000,000 | 0.000001 |
You can see the results getting closer and closer to zero. If we divide by infinity, we are distributing 1 into an infinite number of equal parts. Each of those parts would be infinitesimally small – essentially zero.
The Lowest Absolute Value
According to the provided reference, "the lowest existing absolute value is zero". Therefore, when you divide any real number by infinity, the result will approach the smallest possible value which is zero. It doesn't matter if you are dividing one, five, or one million by infinity, the result would still be zero.
Examples:
- 2 divided by infinity = 0
- 100 divided by infinity = 0
- 1,000,000 divided by infinity = 0
This principle applies to any real number divided by infinity.
Summary
In short, dividing by infinity is like dividing by an unimaginably large number. This causes the result to become infinitesimally small and therefore, essentially zero.
