Post your question in the Comment section below, and a GRE expert will answer it as fast as humanly possible.
- Video Course
- Video Course Overview
- General GRE Info and Strategies - 7 videos (free)
- Quantitative Comparison - 7 videos (free)
- Arithmetic - 42 videos
- Powers and Roots - 43 videos
- Algebra and Equation Solving - 78 videos
- Word Problems - 54 videos
- Geometry - 48 videos
- Integer Properties - 34 videos
- Statistics - 28 videos
- Counting - 27 videos
- Probability - 25 videos
- Data Interpretation - 24 videos
- Analytical Writing - 9 videos (free)
- Sentence Equivalence - 39 videos (free)
- Text Completion - 51 videos
- Reading Comprehension - 16 videos
- Study Guide
- Philosophy
- Office Hours
- Extras
- Prices
Comment on Equation with Many Fractions
The last example is wrong, as
Can you show your
Can you show your calculations?
Once we get to -5 = 8x, we divide both sides by 8 to get: -5/8 = 8x/8
Simplify to get: -5/8 = x
Why can you multiply both
Yes, it's okay to do that.
Yes, it's okay to do that.
When we do this, the only thing we need to be sure of is that x does not equal zero.
We can be certain that x does not equal zero, since the original equation wouldn't make any sense if x equaled zero.
Why did you choose to
Hi Garrett,
Hi Garrett,
In order to eliminate all fractions, we must multiply both sides of the equation by the least common multiple of all of the denominators (2x, 5 and 4x).
For more on this see: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/gre-algebra-and-equation-solvi...
So, 20x is the least common multiple of 2x, 5 and 4x
Notice what happens if we just multiply both sides by 20.
We get: 20(1/2x + 3/5) = 20(1 + 3/4x)
Expand: 20/2x + 60/5 = 20 + 60/4x
Simplify: 10/x + 12 = 20 + 15/x
As you can see, we still have some fractions because we were unable to cancel out the x's in the denominators.
If we want to eliminate the existing fractions, we must multiply both sides by x.
We get: x(10/x + 12) = x(20 + 15/x)
Expand: 10x/x + 12x = 20x + 15x/x
Simplify: 10 + 12x = 20x + 15
etc.
So, rather than multiply both sides of the equation first by 20 and then later by x, we could have saved a step by multiplying both sides by 20x.
Does that help?
Cheers,
Brent
I don't understand how you
Let's take it step-by-step.
Let's take it step-by-step. When it comes time to multiple both sides by 20x (aka 20x/1), we'll show an extra step.
Given: 1/2x + 3/5 = 1 + 3/4x
Multiple both sides by 20x/1 to get: 20x/2x + 60x/5 = 20x + 60x/4x
Simplify: 10 + 12x = 20x + 15
Subtract 10 from both sides: 12x = 20x + 5
Subtract 20X from both sides: -8x = 5
Divide both sides by -8: x = -5/8
Does that help?
Yes, thanks!
my confusion is dropping the
Let's use a nice fraction
Let's use a nice fraction property that says ab/cd = (a/c)(b/d)
So, we can write: 20x/2x = (20/2)(x/x)
= (10)(1)
= 10
Aside: We also used the fact that x/x = 1
and the 60x/4x. why not 15x.
We'll use the same fraction
We'll use the same fraction property: ab/cd = (a/c)(b/d)
So, we can write: 60x/4x = (60/4)(x/x)
= (15)(1)
= 15
Another way to verify whether 60x/4x = 15 is to TEST some values of x.
Try x = 2
60x/4x = 60(2)/4(2) = 120/8 = 15 PERFECT!
Try x = 3
60x/4x = 60(3)/4(3) = 180/12 = 15 PERFECT!
Try x = 10
60x/4x = 60(10)/4(10) = 600/40 = 15 PERFECT!
Since you are suggesting that 60x/4x = 15x, let's test this out by testing some more values
Try x = 2
Does 60x/4x = 15x?
Plug in x = 2 to get: 60(2)/4(2) = 15(2)
Evaluate both sides to get: 15 = 30
Doesn't work. So, it is not the case that 60x/4x = 15x
Does that help?
That helps. Thanks
When I added 1/2x + 3/5 I got
Great question! First off,
Great question! First off, your solution strategy is perfectly valid (although perhaps longer).
We get x = 0 as a solution due to the fact that, if x = 0, the fractions on each side are UNDEFINED (since we're dividing by 0). The equation you created "behaves" as though x = 0 is a solution, but we must recognize that it's actually an invalid solution.
I went at this in a
Perfect!!
Perfect!!
Hi, I did my math the same as
In the future, it would help
In the future, it would help if you showed all of your calculations. Otherwise, I'm forced to guess the steps you took to get x = -8/5.
Here's my best guess at what you did.
Take: 1/2x + 3/5 = 1 + 3/4x
Rewrite first term as: 2/4x + 3/5 = 1 + 3/4x
Subtract 3/4x from both sides: -1/4x + 3/5 = 1
Subtract 3/5 from both sides: -1/4x = -2/5
Multiply from both sides by -4 to get: 1/x = -8/5
At this point, we know that 1/x = -8/5, however we want to find the value of x (not 1/x)
Take: 1/x = -8/5
Invert both sides to get: x/1 = -5/8
In other words, x = -5/8
Is that what happened in your solution?
Cheers,
Brent
Hello, you said in a previous
Hi Julian,
Hi Julian,
That's not quite what I said.
In Quantitative Comparison questions, you cannot multiply/divide the TWO QUANTITIES (Quantity A and Quantity B) by variables unless we are 100% sure that the variable is positive..
In this question, we are multiplying the given EQUATION by 20x. This is okay.
Here's the video that says you cannot multiply/divide the TWO QUANTITIES by variables unless we're sure the variable is positive: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/gre-quantitative-comparison/vi...
Here's the video on solving EQUATIONS through matching operations: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/gre-algebra-and-equation-solvi...
Does that help?
Cheers,
Brent
Thank you this reply was my
Awesome - thanks for the
Awesome - thanks for the feedback!
What's the least common
The least common multiple of
The least common multiple of 2x and 5 is 10x. Here's why:
Our goal here is to find a value that will help cancel out all of the numerators (i.e., eliminate all of the pesky fractions).
One way to think of it is in terms of find the lowest common denominator (which is actually the same as least common multiple)
For example, in order to add 1/4 + 3/10, we need to find the smallest number that 4 and 10 will both divide into.
The least common multiple of 4 and 10 is 20, so we're going to find EQUIVALENT fractions for 1/4 and 3/10 so that both of these equivalent fractions have the same denominator.
KEY IDEA: We create equivalent fractions by multiplying (or dividing) the numerator and denominator by the SAME value.
Take 1/4 and multiply top and bottom by 5 to get 5/20.
So, 1/4 = 5/20
Now take 3/10 and multiply top and bottom by 2 to get 6/20.
So, 3/10 = 6/20
This means 1/4 + 3/10 = 5/20 + 6/20
Now that we have the same denominators, we can add the tops to get: 11/20
Voila!
---------------------------------
Now let's use the above findings to answer your other question: why 20x why not just 20 since 5 doesn't have an X?
So, you're asking why we can't rewrite all fractions with a denominator of 20 (instead of 20x)
Let's find out.
GIVEN EQUATION: 1/2x + 3/5 = 1 + 3/4x
Let's see what happens if we try to rewrite the three fractions (1/2x, 3/5, and 3/4x) with a denominator of 20
Let's start with 3/5
Multiply top and bottom by 4 to get 12/20.
So, 3/5 = 12/20 (so far so good)
Next we'll rewrite 1/2x with a denominator of 20
If we multiply top and bottom by 10, we get 10/20x, but we don't want a denominator of 20x. We want a denominator of 20.
So how do we accomplish this?
We need (2x)(something) = 20
We can't do it.
Does that help?
Cheers,
Brent
Great. It helped tremendously
Hi Brent, can I find common
Is this a valid way?
That strategy (although a
That strategy (although a little longer) definitely works.
Once you have (5+6x)/10x = (4x+3)/4x, you can cross multiply to help solve.
Thanks Brent for confirmation