How do you evaluate: #5/3 -: 5/7#?

1 Answer
smendyka
Jan 27, 2017

#7/3#

Explanation:

This expression can be rewritten as:

#(5/3)/(5/7)#

We can then use the rule for dividing fractions:

#(color(red)(a)/color(blue)(b))/(color(purple)(c)/color(orange)(d)) -> (color(red)(a) xx color(orange)(d))/(color(blue)(b) xx color(purple)(c))#

Substituting the values from the rewritten problem gives:

#(color(red)(5)/color(blue)(3))/(color(purple)(5)/color(orange)(7)) -> (color(red)(5) xx color(orange)(7))/(color(blue)(3) xx color(purple)(5)) -> (cancel(color(red)(5)) xx color(orange)(7))/(color(blue)(3) xx cancel(color(purple)(5))) -> 7/3#

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