OMG! There are FRACTIONS in the equation! What the heck?

Have you felt like this before? I bet you have, right? You see a fraction in an equation and just freaked out because you simply had NO idea what to do or where to even begin. WELL, you just have to remember that fractions are your BFF. That's right!

In elementary school, fractions were that 'other' F word but in Algebra, fractions make things so much easier because the number PROPERTIES (yippee!) help you, the more mature math student, do things that the elementary student just isn't knowledgable enough to do. Let's take a peek at how to solve equations involving fractions.

Here's a typical fractions equation.

Step 1: Find the Least Common Denominator.

Find the Least Common Denominator of ALL the fractions in the equation. Since in our equation we are looking at the 8 and 2, the LCD would be 8.

Step 2: Use Multiplication Property of Equality.

Using the Multiplication Property of Equality (i.e., balancing the equation), multiply both sides of the equation by your LCD.

 

 

This then will translate into the Distributive Property so you will be breaking the fractions into smaller problems that will make things a bit easier to work with!

 

 

Check out how nicely the problem is working out and what the result becomes once we've distributed the 8 throughout the equation…ahhh…a fairly simple linear equation!

Step 3: Solve for the variable.

Simply solve for the variable like you normally would.

In this case, we now would use the Subtraction Property of Equality first…

 

 

followed by the Division Property of Equality.

 

 

Voila! We are finished!

 

Easy-peasy, lemon-squeasy!

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