document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=509075>Question 509075</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Solve the equation for the variable.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/5a-1/8=-2   Fraction  1 over 5 multiplied by a, subtracted by 1 over 8 = -2 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #341255 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><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=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=341255\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> your equation is 1/(5a) - 1/8 = -2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "add 1/8 to both sides of the equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/(5a) = -2 + 1/8<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since -2 is equivalent to -16/8, this equation becomes:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/5a = -16/8 + 1/8 which becomes:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/5a = -15/8<BR>\n" );
document.write( "multiply both sides of the equation by a and you get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(1/5) = a * (-15/8)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "multiply both sides of the equation by (-8/15) and you get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(1/5) * (-8/15) = a * (-15/8) * (-8/15)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the (-15/8) and the (-8/15) on the right side of the equation will cancel out and you will get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(1/5) * (-8/15) = a<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify this to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-8/75 = a\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "that should be your answer.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "replace a with (-8/75) in your original equation to confirm.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "original equation is:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/(5a) - 1/8 = -2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "replace a with (-8/75) to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/(5*(-8/75)) - 1/8 = -2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "add 1/8 to both sides of the equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/(5*(-8/75)) = -15/8<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify the denominator of the left side of the equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1/(-40/75) = -15/8<BR>\n" );
document.write( "multiply both sides of the equation by (-40/75) to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1 = (-40/75) * (-15/8)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "this is equivalent to:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1 = (-40 * -15) / (75 * 8)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify the right side of the equation to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "1 = 1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since the equation is true, the value for a that we derived above is good.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "that value for a is:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a = (-8/75)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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