Rational Expressions
- Thread starter Vonda
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2004
- Messages
- 16,583
Did you perhaps mean the following?
. . . . .(4b)/(75a) and 6/(105ab)
...and:
. . . . .3/(2a - 2) and 2/(1 - a)
If so, factor the denominators. The LCD (or LCM, depending on the book or other resource) will be the product of all the factors, without overduplication. (For a lesson on this, try here.) To convert the fractions to the same denominator, multiply the top and bottom by whatever the bottom needs. For instance:
. . . . .1/6 and 1/15
The factorizations are 2×3 and 3×5, so the LCM is 2×3×5. Then:
. . . . .(1/6)(5/5) = 5/30
. . . . .(1/15)(2/2) = 2/30
Follow this procedure with your exercises. The only fiddly bit will be in the second exercise, where you need to recall that 1 - a = -1(a - 1).
Eliz.
. . . . .(4b)/(75a) and 6/(105ab)
...and:
. . . . .3/(2a - 2) and 2/(1 - a)
If so, factor the denominators. The LCD (or LCM, depending on the book or other resource) will be the product of all the factors, without overduplication. (For a lesson on this, try here.) To convert the fractions to the same denominator, multiply the top and bottom by whatever the bottom needs. For instance:
. . . . .1/6 and 1/15
The factorizations are 2×3 and 3×5, so the LCM is 2×3×5. Then:
. . . . .(1/6)(5/5) = 5/30
. . . . .(1/15)(2/2) = 2/30
Follow this procedure with your exercises. The only fiddly bit will be in the second exercise, where you need to recall that 1 - a = -1(a - 1).
Eliz.