Saturday, November 3, 2012

Textbook page 69. Question #17

17. To calculate - 3/4 + (-2/3), Amy decided to convert the fractions to decimals and add the decimals on a scientific calculator.

      
       a) Explain why she had difficulty in determining the exact answer by this method.

             She had difficulty in determining the exact answer because -2/3 is repeating decimal. However, -3/4 is terminating decimal. As a result she had to add -0.75 + (-0.6666...). Also she has to round the repeating decimal before adding on a scientific calculator but she may not know where to round it.


        b) How should she calculate to get an exact number?

               She should find the LCD of 3 and 4. Then change the fraction to be equivalent with the original fraction.  Then, add the numerator but the denominator stays the same. Simplify. 
 (* What you do on the denominator you must do on the numerator.)


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