Matt H. answered • 11/13/14
Tutor
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(335)
What are these letters doing in my equations? Here comes algebra!
2x-2/4x + 4x+12/7x
Hi Rachel--
To simplify, first add up your "whole number x's" which equal 6x.
Then look at your improper 12/7x that needs to be added on, too. It can become 1 5/7x, so add that to your 6x to get
7 5/7x. Now you have to subtract 2/4x, but you can't yet because your fractions don't have a common denominator.
Their lowest common denominator would be 28, so...
7 20/28x - 14/28x = 7 6/28x (simplifies to 7 3/14x.)
Hope this helps!
Matt in New York
Rachel T.
11/13/14