document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=78117>Question 78117</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help me solve this one, I have worked on it for some time and cannot figure it out.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2x/9-5x/4=7/36 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #56007 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><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/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=56007\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%2F9-5x%2F4=7%2F36 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%2F9-5x%2F4=7%2F36\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "One of the ways you can approach this problem is to get rid of the denominators.  Do this<BR>\n" );
document.write( "by finding a number that is divisible by each of the three denominators. For this problem<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the denominators are 9, 4, and 36.  A number that is divisible by each of these numbers<BR>\n" );
document.write( "is 36. (9 goes into 36 four times, 4 goes into 36 nine times, and 36 goes into 36 one time.)<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Next multiply every term in the given equation by 36.  This makes your problem become:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%2836%2A2x%29%2F9+-+%2836%2A5x%29%2F4+=+%2836%2A7%29%2F36 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%2836%2A2x%29%2F9+-+%2836%2A5x%29%2F4+=+%2836%2A7%29%2F36\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In the first term, the 9 of the denominator goes into the 36 in the numerator 4 times. <BR>\n" );
document.write( "So cancel the 9 in the denominator and change the 36 in the numerator to 4.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In the second term, the 4 of the denominator goes into the 36 in the numerator 9 times. So<BR>\n" );
document.write( "cancel the 4 in the denominator and change the 36 in the numerator to 9.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And finally, on the right side of the equal sign, the 36 of the denominator goes into the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "36 of the numerator 1 time.  So cancel the 36 in the denominator and replace the 36 in the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "numerator with 1.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "When you do these three cancellations, the equation reduces to:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%284%2A2x%29+-+%289%2A5x%29+=+%281%2A7%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%284%2A2x%29+-+%289%2A5x%29+=+%281%2A7%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Next do the multiplications to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=8x+-+45x+=+7 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"8x+-+45x+=+7\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Add the two terms on the left side and you get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-37x+=+7 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-37x+=+7\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Finally, solve for just x by dividing both sides by the multiplier of x ... that is, divide <BR>\n" );
document.write( "both sides by -37 to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x+=+7%2F-37+=+-7%2F37 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x+=+7%2F-37+=+-7%2F37\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "That's the answer to the problem.  Hope this helps to give you some insight into eliminating<BR>\n" );
document.write( "denominators in problems that have terms in fractional form.  Find a number that has all<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the denominators as factors and then multiply every term on both sides by that number.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "After that, cancel the denominator of each fraction, but in the numerator replace the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "common multiplier with the number obtained by dividing that terms denominator into the<BR>\n" );
document.write( "common multiplier.  Once you do that, what remains is just an equation with no denominators<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and you can solve it just as you would any other equation.<BR>\n" );
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