Help Needed on Odd Math Question

Kodiak · 2006-08-14 03:22:17

Hi,
I have come across the following math question and I have no idea how to solve it:
(Image of the problem is attached)

I don't need to know the answer of the problem as much as I would like a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

Thanks in advance for any help, I really appreciate it!

ryos · 2006-08-18 11:39:17

Hey Kodiak, you forgot to tell us what you're supposed to do with the problem! Oops! That pretty much precludes you getting help on it. I've guessed that we're to simplify the expression given, and worked it out from there. I hope I didn't guess wrong and waste time...

Anyway, there are two basic procedures here: divide by a fraction by multiplying by its reciprocal, and adding to a fraction by finding a common denominator.

So, let's start at the bottom, with 5+2/(w+1). We need to add 5 to the fraction by giving it the same denominator, like so:

Now, we need to divide this into 3w by multiplying by the reciprocal:

Add w:

Divide into w:

Now we need to simplify this. We can factor out a w/w, which cancels out to 1, leaving:

This is probably an acceptable answer. However, you can take it even further with polynomial division. I don't know how to do long division in latex, but I can tell you that it comes out to:

Hope that helps.

Last edited by ryos (2006-08-20 17:54:49)

mathsyperson · 2006-08-20 09:04:36

Nyargh!

That is very annoying. I worked it out in exactly the same way as you and got the same answer, but then I decided to plug in a random w-value just to make sure I got it right. I must have made a mistake somewhere there, because the answers from the original expression and the simplified version differed, and so I thought that my workings were wrong and didn't post them. x_x

Ah well. Well done for being more courageous than me, Ryos. ...And for working it out, obviously.

ryos · 2006-08-20 17:31:20

More courageous, or more lazy? Hmm...:P

Anyway, curious now that you mentioned it, I plugged it into my TI-89, and this is what it has to say:

...which is, of course, the answer we both obtained by hand. Maybe you made a parenthetical error plugging it into your calculator?

MathsIsFun · 2006-08-20 17:37:15

Umm ... mathsy ... translate ryos's current signature "El que pega primero pega dos veces"

ryos · 2006-08-20 17:52:15

That's scarily coincidental and hilarious all at once... .. ....!

krassi_holmz · 2006-08-21 05:21:39

If you want the root equation, here is it:

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2006-08-14 03:22:17

Help Needed on Odd Math Question

#2 2006-08-18 11:39:17

Re: Help Needed on Odd Math Question

#3 2006-08-20 09:04:36

Re: Help Needed on Odd Math Question

#4 2006-08-20 17:31:20

Re: Help Needed on Odd Math Question

#5 2006-08-20 17:37:15

Re: Help Needed on Odd Math Question

#6 2006-08-20 17:52:15

Re: Help Needed on Odd Math Question

#7 2006-08-21 05:21:39

Re: Help Needed on Odd Math Question

Board footer