To determine the last digit of the square of 43, we can start by focusing on the last digit of the number itself. The last digit of 43 is 3. When we square a number, the last digit of the result is influenced solely by the last digit of the original number. So, we need to find the last digit of \(3^2\).
Calculating the Square of the Last Digit
Let's perform the calculation:
- First, we calculate \(3^2\):
- \(3 \times 3 = 9\)
The last digit of \(3^2\) is 9. Therefore, the last digit of \(43^2\) is also 9.
Verifying the Result
To ensure our answer is correct, we can compute \(43^2\) directly:
- Using the formula for squaring a binomial, we have:
- \((40 + 3)^2 = 40^2 + 2 \times 40 \times 3 + 3^2\)
- This simplifies to:
- 1600 + 240 + 9 = 1849
Looking at 1849, we see that the last digit is indeed 9, confirming our earlier calculation.
Final Thoughts
In summary, the square of 43 ends with the digit 9. Therefore, the correct answer is (A) 9.