Basic Arithmetic : Basic Arithmetic

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Basic Arithmetic

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Example Questions

Example Question #53 : Fractions

Evaluate:  

\(\displaystyle \frac{3}{7} \div \frac{7}{3}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{21}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{9}{49}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{7}\)

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle 21\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{9}{49}\)

Explanation:

To divide a term by a fraction, take the reciprocal of the fraction.  

Then mutiply both terms.

\(\displaystyle \frac{3}{7} \div \frac{7}{3}= \frac{3}{7} \cdot \frac{3}{7} = \frac{9}{49}\)

Example Question #54 : Fractions

What is the sum of the reciprocal of \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{4}\) and \(\displaystyle 7\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 2\)

\(\displaystyle 11\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{7}{4}\)

\(\displaystyle 7\frac{1}{4}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 11\)

Explanation:

To find the reciprocal of a fraction, flip the numerator and the denominator.

Thus, the reciprocal of \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{4}\) is \(\displaystyle \frac{4}{1}=4\).

 

Then we need to find the sum of 4 and 7, which is 11.

Example Question #4 : Manipulation Of Fractions

What is the reciprocal of \(\displaystyle \small 8\) multiplied by the reciprocal of \(\displaystyle \small \small \frac{3}{2}\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \small 6\)

\(\displaystyle \small \frac{16}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{12}\)

\(\displaystyle \small \frac{3}{16}\)

\(\displaystyle \small 12\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{12}\)

Explanation:

To find the reciprocal of a fraction, we simply need to switch the numerator and the denominator: for example, the reciprocal of a fraction \(\displaystyle \small \frac{a}{b}\) is \(\displaystyle \small \frac{b}{a}\).

With integers, it helps to remember that all integers are really fractions with a denominator of \(\displaystyle \small 1\):

\(\displaystyle \small 4=\frac{4}{1}\)\(\displaystyle \small 2=\frac{2}{1}\), and \(\displaystyle \small 17=\frac{17}{1}\)

The reciprocals of these numbers are \(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{4}, \frac{1}{2},\) and \(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{17}\) respectively. 

Therefore, to solve the problem, we first need to find the reciprocals of \(\displaystyle \small 8\) and \(\displaystyle \small \frac{3}{2}\). If we keep in mind that \(\displaystyle \small 8=\frac{8}{1}\), we can determine that the reciprocals are \(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{8}\) and \(\displaystyle \small \frac{2}{3}\), respectively. The product of these two numbers is:

\(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{8}\times\frac{2}{3}=\frac{1\times2}{8\times3}=\frac{2}{24}=\frac{1}{12}\)

\(\displaystyle \small \frac{1}{12}\) is our final answer.

Example Question #55 : Fractions

What is \(\displaystyle 1\tfrac{2}{3}+3\tfrac{2}{3}\) in fraction form?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{14}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{17}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{15}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{16}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{10}{3}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{16}{3}\)

Explanation:

To rewrite the mixed fractions as improper fractions we multiply the whole number by the denominator and add the numerator to get our new numerator. Our denominator stays the same. With this in mind we get the following:

\(\displaystyle 1\tfrac{2}{3}= \frac{(1 \cdot 3) +2}{3}=\frac{3+2}{3}=\frac{5}{3}\) and

 \(\displaystyle 3\tfrac{2}{3}=\frac{(3 \cdot 3)+2}{3}=\frac{9+2}{3}=\frac{11}{3}\).

Adding them gives us 

\(\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}+\frac{11}{3}=\frac{16}{3}\).

Example Question #56 : Fractions

Convert this mixed number \(\displaystyle 3\frac{1}{4}\) to an improper fraction. 

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{13}{4}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{12}{4}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{4}{13}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{4}{7}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{7}{4}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{13}{4}\)

Explanation:

The correct answer is \(\displaystyle \frac{13}{4}\).

The mixed number can be broken down as follows: 3 is the whole number, 1 is the numerator, and 4 is the denominator.

In order to convert the mixed number to an improper fraction, you must first multiply the denominator with the whole number and then add the numerator to it.

This answer is the numerator of the improper fraction:

\(\displaystyle 4\cdot 3+1 = 12+1 = 13\).

The denominator of the fraction remains the same and the final answer is \(\displaystyle \frac{13}{4}\).

 

Example Question #7 : Manipulation Of Fractions

What is \(\displaystyle \frac{75}{6}\) equivalent to?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 12\frac{1}{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 13\frac{1}{6}\)

\(\displaystyle 10\frac{4}{5}\)

\(\displaystyle 12\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 12\frac{1}{2}\)

Explanation:

This question is asking you to change an improper fraction into a mixed number. To do that we will need to divide 75 by 6.

\(\displaystyle 75\div6=12 \text{ remainder }3\)

Now, we place the remainder as the numerator of a fraction with a denominator that is 6 because we just divided by six.

So then, 12 remainder 3 becomes \(\displaystyle 12\frac{3}{6}\).

Simplify this mixed fraction.

\(\displaystyle 12\frac{3}{6}=12\frac{1}{2}\)

Example Question #57 : Fractions

Find the sum.

\(\displaystyle 9\frac{2}{3}+4\frac{1}{27}= ?\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 13\frac{19}{27}\)

\(\displaystyle 27\frac{1}{9}\)

\(\displaystyle 13\frac{1}{10}\)

\(\displaystyle 14\frac{7}{27}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 13\frac{19}{27}\)

Explanation:

To add mixed numbers, you need to first change both of them into improper fractions.

\(\displaystyle 9\frac{2}{3}=\frac{29}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle 4\frac{1}{27}=\frac{109}{27}\)

Then, add the two improper fractions like you would any other fraction.

We need both fractions to have the same denominator before we can add them. Since 27 is a multiple of 3, we only need to change 1 fraction.

\(\displaystyle \frac{29}{3}\times\frac{9}{9}=\frac{261}{27}\)

Now, we can add these fractions.

\(\displaystyle \frac{261}{27}+\frac{109}{27}=\frac{370}{27}\)

Finally, change the improper fraction back into a mixed number.

\(\displaystyle \frac{370}{27}=13\frac{19}{27}\)

Example Question #58 : Fractions

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{7}\cdot\frac{1}{4}=?\)

What is the result of the above equation?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{14}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{7}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{28}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{4}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{7}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{14}\)

Explanation:

So we first multiply the numerators:

\(\displaystyle 2\cdot1=2\)

We then multiply the denominators

\(\displaystyle 7\cdot4=28\)

Our resulting fraction is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{28}\)

We reduce by dividing by 2 from the numerator and denominator.

For the numerator:

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{2}=1\)

For the denominator:

\(\displaystyle \frac{28}{2}=14\)

The resulting fraction is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{14}\)

Example Question #11 : Manipulation Of Fractions

\(\displaystyle \frac{3}{4}\cdot\frac{4}{6}=?\)

What is the result of the above equation?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{4}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{6}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\)

Explanation:

We first multiply the numerators:

\(\displaystyle 3 \cdot4=12\)

Then we multiply the denominators:

\(\displaystyle 4\cdot6=24\)

The resulting fraction is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{12}{24}\)

We divide the numerator and denominator by 12.

The numerator is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{12}{12}=1\)

The denominator results in:

\(\displaystyle \frac{24}{12}=2\)

Our resulting fraction is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\)

Example Question #241 : Basic Arithmetic

What is the result of the below equation?

\(\displaystyle \frac{7}{12}\times\frac{4}{5}=?\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{11}{17}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{3}{10}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{3}{7}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{7}{15}\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{5}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{7}{15}\)

Explanation:

First, multiply the numerators of each term:

\(\displaystyle 7\times4=28\)

Then, multiply the denominators:

\(\displaystyle 12\times5=60\)

This results in a fraction of \(\displaystyle \frac{28}{60}\). Since the numerator and denominator both have a common factor of 4, reduce both the numerator and denominator by dividing by 4 to get the simplest form fraction \(\displaystyle \frac{7}{15}\).

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