## horsealot203 Group Title 5/4(a-8) =2/3 one year ago one year ago

1. T0mmy Group Title

Do you want to find 'a'?

2. horsealot203 Group Title

yes

3. howdomath Group Title

Being by isolating the variable, to do this we divide both sides of the equation by 5/4. Remember that dividing a fraction by another fraction is really multiplying the first fraction by the reciprocal of the dividing fraction. $(a - 8) = \frac{ 2 }{ 3 } \times \frac{ 4 }{ 5 }$ We get$a - 8 = \frac{ 8 }{ 15 }$ Now you add 8 to both sides to get a on it's own..$a = \frac{ 8 }{ 15 } +8$ Now we need a common denominator to add these fractions, so..$a = \frac{ 8 }{ 15 } +\frac{ 120 }{ 15 }$ Now we have $a = \frac{ 128 }{ 15 }$

4. horsealot203 Group Title

okkk...

5. howdomath Group Title

What doesn't make sense, I'll try to explain better.

6. horsealot203 Group Title

so can you simplify the fraction?

7. whpalmer4 Group Title

No, factors of 15 are 3,5, and 128 is not divisible by either one.

8. T0mmy Group Title

No but you can create a mixed fraction.

9. howdomath Group Title

Well look at the factors of 15, there's 1, 3, 5 and 15. 128 isn't divisible by any of those, so it can't be simplified. If you want it in mixed number it's:$8\frac{ 8 }{ 15 }$

10. horsealot203 Group Title

The answers I can choose from are 6 14/15 7 1/15 8 8/15 8 2/3

11. whpalmer4 Group Title

You could write it as a mixed fraction = $8\frac{ 8 }{ 15 }$

12. horsealot203 Group Title

ok, great. Thank you so much!