document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=551481>Question 551481</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> So I have been doing some workbooks to refresh myself in algebra lately to get back into school and a ran into a problem that for the life of me I cannot understand, its a Linear Equation that in order to find the value of X you have to eliminate the fractions to break it down, now the question in the book reads:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "\"Solve The Following Equation:  5 - (1/6)x = {-(2/3)}x \"\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "now i have worked it down several times but it never matched what the answer in the workbook of \" 30-x=9x \" \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "from what the book says it should be its easy to find the solution is \" X=3 \" but when I work down the original equation I get this:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5 - (1/6)x = {-(2/3)}x   ***convert to fractions**\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5/1 - x/6 = -(3x/2)  **next multiplied each term by the LCD of 6,or 6/1**\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5/1*6/1 - x/6*6/1 = {-(3x/2)}*6/1 ***ok......\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " here is where i am confused, after canceling out the denominators my ending equation is \" 30-x= -9x \" now it has been along time since i have done any math assignments but i thought a negative multiplied by a positive stayed a negative # but my book says it becomes positive? is that right? Is -3x*6= to 9x? if so why? i thought like-signs always made a positive in multiplication <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 #359757 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=scott8148><B>scott8148(6628)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=scott8148><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=scott8148><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=359757\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> not wishing to demean your book, but...substituting the \"solution\" into the original equation\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5 - (1/6)(3) = {-(2/3)}(3) ___ 5 - (1/2) = -(6/3)...I don't think so...\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "\"Solve The Following Equation: 5 - (1/6)x = {-(2/3)}x \" \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "multiplying by 6 to clear fractions ___ 30 - x = -4x ___ x = -10\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "something is amiss, but what?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the only \"glitch\" I could see is ___ how did {-(2/3)}x become (-3x/2) between your 1st and 2nd step? </SPAN>\n" );
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