Question

- 2/3 y = - 4/15

What are the steps to solve?

Answer 1

you can start by multiplying both sides by 3

Answer 2

I would multiply both sides by 15. This will eliminate the denominators and give you a simpler set of numbers to work with.

Answer 3

Discard the negative sign on each side. Multiply each side by 15, you get: \[ 10y = 4 \rightarrow y = \dfrac {4}{10} = \boxed {\dfrac {2}{5}}. \]

Answer 4

How do I know when to discard negative signs?

Answer 5

When there is a negative on both sides, you can discard it - that's a colloquial way of saying "multiply each side by -1".

Answer 6

oh ok so -2/3 y = -4/5 is equivalent to 2/3 y = 4/5 makes sense.

Answer 7

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.