Okay math... not my thing seriously?

Question

I could answer you anything history but im no doubt going to fail math, im out of school right now in and out of the hospital i have to figure this out =/ help?

1. how do you add multiple fractions with different denominators like:

5/11 + 1/6 + 1/3 =

2. Simplify or reduce to lowest terms

7 1/2

--------

2 1/8

3. What's the reciprocal of :

3/4

4. Simplify: -2 + 3 |-4|

5. Simplify:

-6(2)(-2)

-------------------

-2 [(3 - 5) + 2 (-4)]

6. Simplify: x2yp5xy2p5

7. Expand using the distributive property: 4x2(a2 - 2)

8. 5 = 8

-------

7 = x

9.)

y-3 [m4 y3]

----- [-----+-----]

m [y2 m-3 ]

whoever can explain it can have best answer. but really i do need sincere help =/

Answer 1

Question 1 - Adding fractions is relatively easy - first you have to get all the fractions to have the same denominator (the bottom number). Then you just add the top numbers together and leave the bottom number the same.

If you must simplify, that means to reduce to the lowest possible terms - to do that you have to see what number will equally divide into the nominator (top number) and the denominator (bottom number.

In your example - 5/11 + 1/6 + 1/3, The lowest common denominator is 66. So to make each denominator 66 you have to multiply, but you must also multiply the top number. Example: to reach 66 with the fraction 5/11, multiply 11 x 6 = 66, 5 x 6 = 30, therefore, 5/11 = 30/66.

1/6 = 1 x 11 and 11 = 6 = 11/66. 1/3 = 1 x 22 and 3 x 22 = 22/66. So now you have an equation you can add. 30/66 + 11/66 + 22/66 = 63/66.  I hope this helps.

Answer 2

I will tell you how to do some of the problems.

1) 5/11 + 1/6 + 1/3

Figure out the least common multiple of the denominators (LCD), and rewrite each fraction with that number for the denominator (multiply both numerator and denominator by the number that turns the denominator into the LCD).

2) 7_1/2 divided by 2_1/8

Rewrite each mixed fraction as an improper fraction (denominator times whole number, plus numerator). Multiply first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction.

3) reciprocal of 3/4

Flip the fraction, making the numerator the denominator and the denominator the numerator, and the new fraction is the reciprocal.

6) To me this looks like (x^2)*y*(p^5)*x*(y^2)*(p^5).

For each variable (x, y, and p), add up its exponents. The rule is (a^m)*(a^n)=a^(mn). The answer will have all of the variables, each occurring once with its new exponent.

7) Expand using the distributive property. 4x^2(a^2 - 2).

Multiply 4x^2 by each term that is inside the parentheses:

[(4x^2)(a^2) - [(4x^2)(2)] Then simplify to 4(a^2)(x^2) - 8x^2.

8) I assume this should be 5/7=8/x.

For this type of problem (proportion, fraction=fraction with one part unknown) a common way to do it is to cross-multiply first and then simplify/solve.