Question

please help me with this problem 12-(1/9)/(4/3)+(1/2)^2 simplify

Answer 1

Do you know about the order of operations/ PEMDAS?

Answer 2

yes i can tell you the different answers that i have gotten

Answer 3

Is this the problem:
\[12-\frac{\frac{1}{9}}{\frac{4}{3}}+ (\frac{1}{2})^{2}\]
or this:
\[\frac{12-\frac{1}{9}}{\frac{4}{3}}+ (\frac{1}{2})^{2}\]

Answer 4

Looks to me like it'd be the top one.

Answer 5

@miss texas: I think we'd be better off solving it from scratch here. So tell me this: what is the first thing we're going to do?

Answer 6

(1/2)^2

Answer 7

the exponent goes to both terms:
\[(\frac{1}{2})^2= \frac{1^2}{2^2}= \frac{1}{4}\]

Answer 8

Excellent. Nadeem's got that part for us. Is that also what you got?

Answer 9

oh thats where i am messing up i believe

Answer 10

Or alternatively, you can do "a half times a half is a fourth" if you know that by heart.

Answer 11

Well, let's continue working; since there's three of us here, we can catch one another's mistakes. What would you do next?

Answer 12

We currently have: 12-(1/9)/(4/3)+(1/4)

Answer 13

give me one second i know that was the first mistake i made reworking the problem

Answer 14

Sure thing. Take your time.

Answer 15

flip the second fraction after the division sign?

Answer 16

Perfect. And then multiply, right?

Answer 17

yeah but have to get the common denominatior which is 36?

Answer 18

No need for multiplication. Only need a common denominator for addition and subtraction.

Answer 19

work on simplifying the fraction:
\[\frac{\frac{1}{9}}{\frac{4}{3}}\]
The algebra identity is:
\[\frac{\frac{a}{b}}{\frac{c}{d}}= \frac{a}{b}\frac{d}{c}= \frac{ad}{bc}\]

Answer 20

ok

Answer 21

For example, \[\frac{4}{5}\] times \[\frac{1}{2}\] equals 4/10

Answer 22

3/36

Answer 23

so in our case a=1, b=9, c=4, d=3

Answer 24

Perfect.

Answer 25

So now we are down to:

12-(3/36)+(1/4)

Answer 26

But, before we do anything, see any fractions we can simplify?

Answer 27

ok

Answer 28

none can be simplified so now do i get the common denominator

Answer 29

Actually, look at 3/36

Answer 30

Try dividing 36 by 3

Answer 31

(I'll go ahead and tell you that 36/3 = 12 to save you some work)

Answer 32

So what does that turn 3/36 into? I know I might seem really pushy, but we've gotta do this to make the next step MUCH easier.

Answer 33

12

Answer 34

now you should currently have :
\[12-\frac{1}{12}+\frac{1}{4}\]

Answer 35

Yup, nadine's got it for us.

Answer 36

Whoops *nadeem

Answer 37

lol... thats fine

Answer 38

Alright, so what is 12 in fraction form, misstexas?

Answer 39

1/12

Answer 40

Very close. But 1/12 is something else.

Answer 41

do i get common denominators now?

Answer 42

No, not yet. Because what you said would imply that two equals 1 one half.

Answer 43

12/1

Answer 44

Perfect!

Answer 45

Alright, *now* we get common denominators. Yay!

Answer 46

of all three fractions?

Answer 47

Our denominators: 1, 12 and 4.

Answer 48

Yup!

Answer 49

So, what number do you think we're aiming to turn all three denominators into?

Answer 50

12 common denominator

Answer 51

yes

Answer 52

Perfect. Go ahead and tell us what our fractions will look like now.

Answer 53

146/12

Answer 54

Excellent! Now, a useful trick: anytime you have a fraction like this:

even/even

you can divide by 2 to simplify a little.

Answer 55

and as you can see, your fraction is indeed an even number over an even number. Go ahead and divide both by 2.

Answer 56

73/6

Answer 57

Great work! I'll save you time of checking everything and tell you that you've fully simplified, and have the correct answer. Congrats!

Answer 58

thank you so much for your help are you going to be on much longer

Answer 59

Sure, I'll see what I can do. Go ahead and post whenever you're ready. And thank YOU for actually staying and replying to our questions. So many folks here just want the answer and don't care about learning. I'm glad you're not one of them.

Answer 60

I'll probably be heading to bed in 10 minutes. Found any questions for me? If not, just click my profile and "fan" me, and you can check again with me tomorrow or some other day.