document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=118229>Question 118229</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If 1/x + 1/a = 1/b then what is x </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #86335 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><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=86335\">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=1%2Fx+%2B+1%2Fa+=+1%2Fb ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fx+%2B+1%2Fa+=+1%2Fb\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given equation\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fx++=+1%2Fb+-+1%2Fa ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fx++=+1%2Fb+-+1%2Fa\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Subtract <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fa ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fa\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > from both sides\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fx++=+%28a%2Fa%29%281%2Fb%29+-+%28b%2Fb%29%281%2Fa%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fx++=+%28a%2Fa%29%281%2Fb%29+-+%28b%2Fb%29%281%2Fa%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fb ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fb\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a%2Fa ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a%2Fa\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >. Multiply <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fa ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fa\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%2Fb ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%2Fb\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fx++=+a%2Fab+-+b%2Fab%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fx++=+a%2Fab+-+b%2Fab%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2Fx++=+%28a-+b%29%2Fab ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2Fx++=+%28a-+b%29%2Fab\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine the fractions.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ab++=+x%28a-+b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ab++=+x%28a-+b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cross multiply\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ab%2F%28a-+b%29+=+x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ab%2F%28a-+b%29+=+x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=a-b ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"a-b\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So our answer is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=ab%2F%28a-+b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=ab%2F%28a-+b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "note: the previous answer <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-ab%2F%28b-+a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-ab%2F%28b-+a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > is equivalent to <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=ab%2F%28a-+b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=ab%2F%28a-+b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-ab%2F%28b-+a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-ab%2F%28b-+a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with any answer (I chose the previous answer)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28-1%29ab%2F%28b-+a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28-1%29ab%2F%28b-+a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor a -1 out of the numerator\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28-1%29ab%2F%28-1%29%28-b%2B+a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28-1%29ab%2F%28-1%29%28-b%2B+a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor a -1 out of the denominator\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28-1%29ab%2F%28-1%29%28a-b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28-1%29ab%2F%28-1%29%28a-b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Rearrange the terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=cross%28-1%29ab%2Fcross%28-1%29%28a-b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"cross%28-1%29ab%2Fcross%28-1%29%28a-b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >  Divide and cancel out the \"-1\" terms\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ab%2F%28a-b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ab%2F%28a-b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >  Simplify\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So this shows that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ab%2F%28a-b%29=-ab%2F%28b-+a%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ab%2F%28a-b%29=-ab%2F%28b-+a%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > which means either answer will work. </SPAN>\n" );
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