Chapter 3: Problem 15
(GRAPH CANNOT COPY) Find the negative reciprocal of each number. a. 6 b. \(-\frac{7}{8}\) c. \(-1\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
a. \(-\frac{1}{6}\), b. \(\frac{8}{7}\), c. 1
Step by step solution
01
Understanding Reciprocals
A reciprocal of a number is calculated by taking the number 1 and dividing it by that given number. For example, the reciprocal of 6 is \( \frac{1}{6} \).
02
Understanding Negative Reciprocals
Unlike a simple reciprocal, a negative reciprocal involves taking the reciprocal of a number and then multiplying it by -1. So, if the reciprocal of a number is \( \frac{1}{x} \), the negative reciprocal would be \( -\frac{1}{x} \).
03
Calculate Negative Reciprocal of a
For 6, the reciprocal is \( \frac{1}{6} \), so the negative reciprocal is \( -\frac{1}{6} \).
04
Calculate Negative Reciprocal of b
For \(-\frac{7}{8}\), the reciprocal is \( -\frac{8}{7} \). By multiplying it by -1, the negative reciprocal becomes \( \frac{8}{7} \).
05
Calculate Negative Reciprocal of c
For \(-1\), the reciprocal is \(-1\) (since \( \frac{1}{-1} = -1 \)). The negative reciprocal, consequently, is \( 1 \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Reciprocals
Reciprocals can sound tricky, but they are actually quite simple! A reciprocal of a number is what you multiply the original number with to get a product of 1. Basically, if you have a number, say 6, you flip it upside down to find its reciprocal.
So, 6 becomes \( \frac{1}{6} \). Here’s the key point:
So, 6 becomes \( \frac{1}{6} \). Here’s the key point:
- For any whole number, like 6, the reciprocal is 1 divided by that number, which makes it a fraction.
- Fractions are a bit trickier; you switch the numerator and denominator. For example, the reciprocal of \( \frac{3}{4} \) is \( \frac{4}{3} \).
- The reciprocal of 1 is still 1. If you go to 0, watch out! There is no reciprocal because you can’t divide by zero.
Multiplying Fractions by -1
When we talk about negative reciprocals, we need to understand what happens when multiplying fractions by -1. Multiplying a fraction by -1 changes its sign. Here’s how it works:
- If the fraction is positive, it becomes negative, and vice versa. For example, multiplying \( \frac{3}{4} \) by -1 gives \( -\frac{3}{4} \).
- If you have a negative fraction, like \( -\frac{7}{8} \), multiplying by -1 flips it to positive, giving you \( \frac{7}{8} \).
- This step is crucial when finding negative reciprocals because after finding a fraction’s reciprocal, multiplying by -1 is what gives it the negative spin!
Reciprocal Calculation Steps
Calculation of negative reciprocals is a sequence of clear steps that help unlock this mathematical concept. Let’s look at how exactly this is done:
- Start with the original number, like 6. First, find its reciprocal: divide 1 by that number. For 6, the reciprocal is \( \frac{1}{6} \). Now, make it negative, resulting in \( -\frac{1}{6} \).
- For fractions like \(-\frac{7}{8}\), flip the fraction to get \(-\frac{8}{7}\). Then, multiply by -1 to shift the signs. The result is \( \frac{8}{7} \).
- With −1, the reciprocal is still −1 because \( \frac{1}{-1} = -1 \). When you put it through the negative spin by multiplying by -1, it becomes 1.