Divisibility Rules – Dividing by 3, 6 or 9

Answers
A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of the digits is 3, 6 or 9. You may need to add the
digits multiple times. For example, 429 is a multiple of 3 because 4 + 2 + 9 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6.

A number is divisible by 6 if it is even and the sum of the digits is 3, 6 or 9. You may need
to add the digits multiple times. For example, 438 is a multiple of 6 because it’s even and 4 +
3 + 8 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6.

A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of the digits is 9. You may need to add the digits
multiple times. For example, 1737 is a multiple of 9 because 1 + 7 + 3 + 7 = 18 and 1 + 8 = 9.

1. Determine if the following numbers are multiples of 3. Justify your answers.

a. 79 d. 7564

No; 7 + 9 = 16 and 1 + 6 = 7. No; 7 + 5 + 6 + 4 = 22 and 2 + 2 = 4.

b. 2616 e. 2196

Yes; 2 + 6 + 1 + 6 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6. Yes; 2 + 1 + 9 + 6 = 18 and 1 + 8 = 9.

c. 3837 f. 876

Yes; 3 + 8 + 3 + 7 = 21 and 2 + 1 = 3. Yes; 8 + 7 + 6 = 21 and 2 + 1 = 3.

2. Determine if the following numbers are multiples of 6. Justify your answers.

a. 2187

No; the number isn’t even.

b. 2364

Yes; the number is even and 2 + 3 + 6 + 4 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6.

c. 5642

No; 5 + 6 + 4 + 2 = 17 and 1 + 7 = 8.

d. 5442

Yes; the number is even and 5 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6.

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 Divisibility Rules – Dividing by 3, 6 or 9 Answers
e. 4680

Yes; the number is even and 4 + 6 + 8 + 0 = 18 and 1 + 8 = 9.

f. 3215

No; the number isn’t even.

3. Determine if the following numbers are multiples of 9. Justify your answers.

a. 3651

No; 3 + 6 + 5 + 1 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6.

b. 5157

Yes; 5 + 1 + 5 + 7 = 18 and 1 + 8 = 9.

c. 315

Yes; 3 + 1 + 5 = 9.

d. 1513

No; 1 + 5 + 1 + 3 = 10 and 1 + 0 = 1.

e. 5697

Yes; 5 + 6 + 9 + 7 = 27 and 2 + 7 = 9

f. 3165

No; 3 + 1 + 6 + 5 = 15 and 1 + 5 = 6

4. Find all the multiples of 3 between 100 and 140.

102, 105, 108, 111, 114, 117, 120, 123, 126, 129, 132, 135, 138

5. Find all the multiples of 6 between 50 and 100.

54, 60, 66, 72, 78, 84, 90, 96

6. Find all the multiples of 9 between 100 and 200.

108, 117, 126, 135, 144, 153, 162, 171, 180, 189, 198

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 Divisibility Rules – Dividing by 3, 6 or 9 Answers
7. Write the largest three-digit number that satisfies these conditions:
• Your number must be a multiple of 3
• Your number must not be a multiple of 6.
• Your number must include a 4 and a 5.

945

8. Write the largest three-digit number that satisfies these conditions:

• Your number must be a multiple of 6
• Your number must be less than 500.
• Your number must have a 9 in it.

498

9. Write the largest three-digit number that satisfies these conditions:

• Your number must be a multiple of 9.
• Your number must not be a multiple of 6.
• Your number must include exactly one 5.

945

10. Write the largest three-digit number that satisfies these conditions:
• Your number must be a multiple of 9, 3 and 6.

990

Challenge
1. Given your number is a multiple of 9, explain why it must also be a multiple of 3.

9 is a multiple of 3, so any number that is a multiple of 9 will also be a multiple of 3.

If it is a multiple of 9, the digits will add to 9 which is a multiple of 3.

2. Given that A is a multiple of 9, explain why:

a. 2 × A is a multiple of 6.

If A is a multiple of 9, it is also a multiple of 3. When we multiply it by 2, the result

will be even. A multiple of 6 is an even multiple of 3, so 2 × A is a multiple of 6.

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 Divisibility Rules – Dividing by 3, 6 or 9 Answers
b. A – 300 is a multiple of 3 but not 9.

300 is a multiple of 3 but not a multiple of 9 as 3 + 0 + 0 = 3. A – 300 will be a multiple

of 3 but not of 9.

3. Write all the numbers from 4 to 25 in the format:

• a multiple of 3 + a one-digit number
4=3+1

5=3+2

6=3+3

7=3+4 or 7=6+1

8=3+5 or 8=6+2

9=3+6 or 9=6+3

10 = 3 + 7 or 10 = 6 + 4 or 10 = 9 + 1

11 = 3 + 8 or 11 = 6 + 5 or 11 = 9 + 2

12 = 3 + 9 or 12 = 6 + 6 or 12 = 9 + 3

13 = 6 + 7 or 13 = 9 + 4 or 13 = 12 + 1

14 = 6 + 8 or 14 = 9 + 5 or 14 = 12 + 2

15 = 6 + 9 or 15 = 9 + 6 or 15 = 12 + 3

16 = 9 + 7 or 16 = 12 + 4 or 16 = 15 + 1

17 = 9 + 8 or 17 = 12 + 5 or 17 = 15 + 2

18 = 9 + 9 or 18 = 12 + 6 or 18 = 15 + 3

19 = 12 + 7 or 19 = 15 + 4 or 19 = 18 + 1

20 = 12 + 8 or 20 = 15 + 5 or 20 = 18 + 2

21 = 12 + 9 or 21 = 15 + 6 or 21 = 18 + 3

22 = 15 + 7 or 22 = 18 + 4 or 22 = 21 + 1

23 = 15 + 8 or 23 = 18 + 5 or 23 = 21 + 2

24 = 15 + 9 or 24 = 18 + 6 or 24 = 21 + 3

25 = 18 + 7 or 25 = 21 + 4 or 25 = 24 + 1

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