document.write( "Question 122802: If one-fourth a number is subtracted from one-half of the number, the difference is 3. Find the number and check your answer.\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #90152 by bucky(2189)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let N represent the unknown number.
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\n" ); document.write( "One-fourth of N is N divided by 4 which can be written as \"N%2F4\"
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\n" ); document.write( "One-half of N is N divided by 2 which can be written as \"N%2F2\"
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\n" ); document.write( "If you subtract one-fourth of N from one-half of N this subtraction can be written as:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"N%2F2+-+N%2F4\"
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\n" ); document.write( "and the problem tells you that this equals 3. So, in equation form this subtraction is:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"N%2F2+-+N%2F4+=+3\"
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\n" ); document.write( "You can now put the first term on the left side over a common denominator of 4 by multiplying
\n" ); document.write( "it by \"2%2F2\" ... and since \"2%2F2+=+1\" this is the same as multiplying the first term
\n" ); document.write( "by 1 ... so it does not change the term. This multiplication of the first term by \"2%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( "changes the term to:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"N%2F2+%2A+2%2F2+=+2N%2F4\"
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\n" ); document.write( "and the equation then becomes:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"2N%2F4+-+N%2F4+=+3\"
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\n" ); document.write( "On the left side you combine the two terms by subtracting their numerators and placing the
\n" ); document.write( "result over the common denominator. In other words:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"2N%2F4+-+N%2F4+=+%282N+-+N%29%2F4+=+N%2F4\"
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\n" ); document.write( "and when you substitute this new reduced form of the terms on the left side, the equation becomes:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"N%2F4+=+3\"
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\n" ); document.write( "This equation can be solved for N by multiplying both sides by 4 to get rid of the denominator
\n" ); document.write( "on the left side. Multiplying both sides by 4 results in:
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\n" ); document.write( "\"N+=+4%2A3+=+12\"
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\n" ); document.write( "So the answer to this problem is that the unknown number N equals 12.
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\n" ); document.write( "Check:
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\n" ); document.write( "One-half of 12 is 6, and one-fourth of 12 is 3. Then 6 - 3 = 3 which is what the problem says
\n" ); document.write( "it should be. So the answer of N = 12 checks.
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\n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem.
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