SOLUTION: How do I solve x/3 - 1/4 that will equal to 3x - 8/12 This is something that has had me lost like forever! Can someone please help me out!!

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Question 81710: How do I solve x/3 - 1/4 that will equal to 3x - 8/12 This is something that has had me lost like forever! Can someone please help me out!!
Answer by rapaljer(4671) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Since this is a subtraction of two fractions, you must find a common denominator. For x%2F3+-+1%2F4, the LCD is 12.

Next, you must somehow manage to get the denominators of the two fractions to each be 12. You can do this, by multiplying the numerator and denominator of the first fraction by 4, and the numerator and denominator of the second fraction by 3. It looks like this:
x%2F3+-+1%2F4
%28x%2F3%29%2A%284%2F4%29+-+%281%2F4%29%2A%283%2F3%29
%284x%29%2F12+-+3%2F12

Now that you have a common denominator, you can just subtract the two numerators, and place this over the common denominator:
+%284x-3%29%2F12+

For more explanation like this, go to my website by clicking on my tutor name anywhere in algebra.com, and go to "Basic Algebra," then "Samples of Basic Algebra: One Step at a Time", then "Chapter 3", then "Section 3.04 Adding and Subtracting Fractions." See also my page called "Math in Living Color", then "Basic Algebra", and look in Chapter 3.

R^2 at SCC