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Exercises Numbers, fractions and percents

Example 1.79 from Elementary Algebra, 1.6 Add and Subtract Fractions

Add and Subtract Fractions: example 1.79

Simplify: $- \frac{10}{x} - \frac{4}{x} .$

Work it out on paper first. Then open the solution one step at a time, and stop as soon as you can finish on your own.

Solution

$- \frac{10}{x} - \frac{4}{x}$

Subtract the numerators and place the difference over the common denominator. $\frac{−14}{x}$

Rewrite with the sign in front of the fraction. $- \frac{14}{x}$

Your turn

The book's Try It right after this example: same idea, new numbers. Only the answer is given.

Find the difference: $- \frac{9}{x} - \frac{7}{x} .$

How did it go?

PreviousAdd and Subtract Fractions: example 1.78 Next Add and Subtract Fractions: example 1.88

From Elementary Algebra (1st edition) by OpenStax (Rice University), section 1.6, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Original at openstax.org. We split the solution into steps; the words, numbers and figures are the book's. OpenStax doesn't endorse this site.