Friday, March 18, 2016

College Algebra, Chapter 1, 1.1, Section 1.1, Problem 44

The equation $\displaystyle \frac{1}{1- \frac{3}{2+w}} = 60 $ is either linear or equivalent to a linear equation. Solve the equation

$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
\frac{1}{1- \frac{3}{2+w}} &= 60 && \text{Get the LCD}\\
\\
\frac{1}{\frac{2+w-3}{2+w}} &= 60 && \text{Combine like terms}\\
\\
\frac{1}{\frac{w-1}{w+2}} &= 60 && \text{Get the reciprocal}\\
\\
\frac{w+2}{w-1} &= 60 && \text{Multiply both sides by }(w-1)\\
\\
\cancel{(w-1)} & \left[ \frac{w+2}{\cancel{w-1}} = 60 \right] (w-1) && \text{Cancel out like terms}\\
\\
w +2 &= 60 (w-1) && \text{Simplify}\\
\\
w +2 &= 60w - 60 && \text{Combine like terms}\\
\\
w - 60w &= -2 - 60 && \text{Simplify}\\
\\
-59w &= -62 && \text{Divide both sides by -59}\\
\\
\frac{\cancel{-59}w}{\cancel{-59}} &= \frac{-62}{-59} && \text{Cancel Out like terms}\\
\\
w &= \frac{62}{59}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$

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