Chapter 7: Problem 76
Solve each equation and check the result. If an equation has no solution, so indicate. $$ \frac{3}{p+6}-2=\frac{7}{p+6} $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The solution is \( p = -8 \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Equation
The given equation is \( \frac{3}{p+6} - 2 = \frac{7}{p+6} \). We need to solve for \( p \).
02
Simplify the Equation
Notice that the fractions have the same denominator, \( p+6 \). Subtract the left fraction from the right fraction:\[\frac{3 - 7}{p+6} = 2\]This simplifies to:\[\frac{-4}{p+6} = 2\]
03
Solve for the Variable
Clear the fraction by multiplying both sides of the equation by \( p + 6 \):\[-4 = 2(p + 6)\]
04
Expand and Rearrange
Distribute the 2 on the right side:\[-4 = 2p + 12\]Subtract 12 from both sides:\[-4 - 12 = 2p\]This results in:\[-16 = 2p\]
05
Isolate the Variable
Divide both sides by 2 to solve for \( p \):\[p = -8\]
06
Check the Solution
Substitute \( p = -8 \) into the original equation to verify:\[\frac{3}{-8+6} - 2 = \frac{7}{-8+6}\]This simplifies to:\[\frac{3}{-2} - 2 = \frac{7}{-2}\]Calculating gives:\[-\frac{3}{2} - 2 = -\frac{7}{2}\]Convert \(-2\) to have a denominator of 2:\[-\frac{3}{2} - \frac{4}{2} = -\frac{7}{2}\]This identity confirms the solution is correct as both sides are equal.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Fraction Simplification
To tackle a rational equation like \( \frac{3}{p+6} - 2 = \frac{7}{p+6} \), it is important to understand fraction simplification. In this equation, both fractions have the same denominator, \( p+6 \). This similarity allows us to merge the fractions both on the right and the left by combining their numerators over a common denominator, leading to:
- Left Numerator: 3 - Right Numerator: 7
- Combined, it gives: \( \frac{3-7}{p+6} \)
- Simplifying this, we get: \( \frac{-4}{p+6} \)
Distributive Property
The distributive property is a useful algebraic tool. It allows you to simplify equations by multiplying through parentheses. Once we've combined like terms and simplified the fraction as \( \frac{-4}{p+6} = 2 \), we want to remove the denominator by multiplying both sides by \( p+6 \). This clears the fraction:
- Equation: \(-4 = 2(p+6)\)
- Apply Distributive Property: \(-4 = 2p + 12\)
Checking Solutions
Checking solutions ensures that your calculated answer is indeed correct. After determining the variable solution as \( p = -8 \), substituting back into the original equation verifies the result:
- Substitute \( p = -8 \): \( \frac{3}{-8+6} - 2 = \frac{7}{-8+6} \)
- Which simplifies to: \( \frac{3}{-2} - 2 = \frac{7}{-2} \)
- Converting \(-2\) to have a denominator of 2: \( -\frac{3}{2} - \frac{4}{2} = -\frac{7}{2} \)
Isolating Variables
Isolating variables is the crucial step when solving equations. After using the distributive property and simplifying, you arrive at an equation like \(-16 = 2p\). The goal is to get \( p \) by itself:
- You divide both sides by 2, yielding \( p = -8 \).