If 3 is added to the number and denominator of a fraction and the result subtracted 'by' the original fraction, the difference is 1/15. The numerator of the original fraction is 6 less than the denominator. What is the original fraction?

1 Answer
Oct 11, 2015

9/15

Explanation:

So if the original fraction's numerator is 6 less than the denominator, we can write the original fraction as x/(x+6).

Then, the second fraction is 3 added to the numerator and denominator. Written like how we wrote the first fraction, it is (x+3)/(x+6+3) or (x+3)/(x+9).

We are also told the the difference between the second fraction and the first fraction is 1/15, so we can write the equation:

(x+3)/(x+9)-x/(x+6)=1/15.

Now, we have to find the LCD to be able to work with fractions with different denominators. The LCD in this case would be (x+6)(x+9). If we multiply both sides of the equation by that term, we get:

(x+6)(x+9)((x+3)/(x+9)-x/(x+6))=1/15(x+6)(x+9).

Let's distribute the (x+6) first on the left side, to get:

(x+9)(((x+3)(x+6))/(x+9)) -x)=1/15(x+6)(x+9)

Then distribute the (x+9) on the left side, to get:

=(x+3)(x+6)-x(x+9)=1/15(x+6)(x+9).

Now, we can expand both sides to get:

x^2+9x+18-x^2-9x=1/15(x^2+15x+54).

Now, if we move all the terms to one side and do some simplification, we get:

0=1/15(x^2+15x+54)-18.

If we multiply both sides by 15 and combine like terms, we get:

0=x^2+15x-216.

Factoring, we get:

0=(x-9)(x+24)

Thus, the solutions for x are 9 and -24. Using these values for x, we get:

9/15 and (-24)/-18. But, the negatives cancel in the second expression, which skews the entire setup (if would have been (-24)/-18-(-21)/-15 but now its 27/21 and the subtraction does not work.

Quickly checking the first expression, you get 12/18-9/15, which does equate to 1/15!