What least number should be subtracted from 10004 to get a number exactly divisible by 12?

Options

A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
D. 20

Answer

To solve the problem of finding the least number that should be subtracted from 10004 to make it exactly divisible by 12, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Divide 10004 by 12
We start by dividing 10004 by 12 to find out how many times 12 fits into 10004 and what the remainder is.

\[ 10004 \div 12 = 833 \quad \text{(whole number part)} \]
\[ 12 \times 833 = 9996 \quad \text{(this is the largest multiple of 12 less than 10004)} \]

### Step 2: Calculate the Remainder
Next, we need to find the remainder when we divide 10004 by 12.

\[ 10004 - 9996 = 8 \]

### Step 3: Determine the Number to Subtract
Since the remainder is 8, this means that to make 10004 exactly divisible by 12, we need to subtract this remainder from 10004.

\[ 10004 - 8 = 9996 \]

### Step 4: Conclusion
Thus, the least number that should be subtracted from 10004 to get a number exactly divisible by 12 is:

\[ \boxed{8} \]

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