SOLUTION: I am currently tutoring a student at a local middle school. She had this pre-algebra problem from a test that I believe has a syntax error which makes it difficult to solve. Howeve
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Question 553046: I am currently tutoring a student at a local middle school. She had this pre-algebra problem from a test that I believe has a syntax error which makes it difficult to solve. However, I have forgotten the rules that would make this a syntax error for me to explain it to her. This is the equation as written:
(-2)-(-8)/(6+4x(-4)-(-6))=x
I have entered this equation on a spreadsheet program and it will not take the equation as written. It forces the parenthesis in this order:
(-2-(-8)/(6+4*(-4)-(-6)))=x
Why is the first equation incorrect and what are the steps to solve?
Respectfully,
Natalie Witte Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
Spreadsheet arithmetic and algebraic notation, while related, are really two different things.
The first equation is incorrect in that it is ambiguous.
Does it mean:
or
The first way has no real number solutions (the solution is a conjugate pair of complex numbers) whereas the two solutions for the second way are real but irrational -- both of which seem a bit beyond what you would typically see in middle school -- UNLESS the in the denominator expression is supposed to mean "times" as opposed to being the variable , in which case the answer is a single integer. But you still need to clarify the ambiguity, i.e., is the (-2) inside or outside of the fraction?
You need to clarify what you really mean.
John
My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it
