Posted by Jmiah on October 11, 2002 at 11:28:04:
OK, here's the problem. I got one answer, my book got a different answer, and my calculator says both are wrong. Here's the equation:
1/8x-1/7x=2, solve for x
I got:
7/56x-8/56x=2
-1/56x=2
-56x^-1=2
-28x^-1=1
x=28
The book got:
[1/7x-1/8x=2]56
7-8=112x
-1=112x
x=-1/112
My calculator got:
1/8x-1/7x=2, x=-112 (using q solver), when I substituted -112 for x, it came out equaling 2
(1/{8[-112]}-1/{7[-112]}=2).
I know the calculator is right, and I did find a way to get that answer, and I also see how I got my answer and the book got its answer, but I can't figure out what the book, or I, did wrong.
P.S. those are one-eighth and one-seventh x.
:-)