document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=23495>Question 23495</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\">      I don't know how or if I should convert these fractions to solve this word problem.  Could you explan it to me?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "     2/3 of the people working at Happy Homes Realty are sales agents and the rest are clerical workers.  If 5/8 of the agents are women and 4/7 of the clerical workers are men, find the fraction of the people in the office who are male agents, female agents, male clerical workers, and female clerical workers.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "     My mom thinks that I have to change the fractions into percents, then when I find the answer that I have to convert them back to fractions.  Do I?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "                                                              Yours Truly,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "                                                                    Confused\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #12280 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=longjonsilver><B>longjonsilver(2297)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=longjonsilver><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=longjonsilver><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=12280\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Fractions, decimals and % are all the same.... does not matter which you use. Seeing as how the Q is in fractions, stick to this (plus it is less work to do..why bother converting to % just to convert back again? Madness :-) )\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, think of a tree:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Agents (2/3) --> 5/8 Women<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Agents (2/3) --> 3/8 Men\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Clerical (1/3) --> 3/7 Women<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Clerical (1/3) --> 4/7 Men\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So, <BR>\n" );
document.write( "agents AND women --> (2/3)*(5/8) = 5/12<BR>\n" );
document.write( "agents AND men --> (2/3)*(3/8) = 1/4\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "clerical AND women --> (1/3)*(3/7) = 1/7 <BR>\n" );
document.write( "clerical AND men --> (1/3)*(4/7) = 4/21\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Add up all the 4 final fractions on a calculator..should equal to 1..ie EVERYBODY :-)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "jon.\r<BR>\n" );
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