# Math Help - complex fractions

1. ## complex fractions

not sure where this should go. I'm a middle age student returning after a long (10 yr) off math.

I'm thinking there must be an error in my text book because I'm solving this one like the others but my results and the books don't agree.. Then again its been awhile
Code:
               2
2        -    ----
3
---         ----------
2                2
--
3
So I then get the LCD = 3 simplify numerator and denominator by combining
then multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator

Code:
4/3
----
-4/3

4/3 * -3/4 = -12/12 or -1
Am I missing something here?

Here is what the book shows

[code]

2(3/2) - 2/3(1/2) = 3 - 1/3 = 9/3 -1/3 = 8/3

Ohhh!! I think I see the problem.. I'm working with 2 complex fractions... Now it makes sense

2. Originally Posted by pcdreams
not sure where this should go. I'm a middle age student returning after a long (10 yr) off math.

I'm thinking there must be an error in my text book because I'm solving this one like the others but my results and the books don't agree.. Then again its been awhile
Code:
               2
2        -    ----
3
---         ----------
2                2
--
3
So I then get the LCD = 3 simplify numerator and denominator by combining
then multiply the numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator

Code:
4/3
----
-4/3

4/3 * -3/4 = -12/12 or -1
Am I missing something here?

Here is what the book shows

[code]

2(3/2) - 2/3(1/2) = 3 - 1/3 = 9/3 -1/3 = 8/3

Ohhh!! I think I see the problem.. I'm working with 2 complex fractions... Now it makes sense

Is that 2/(2/3) - (2/3)/2?

If so:

2/(2/3) = 6/2 = 3

(2/3)/2 = 1/3;

3 - (1/3) = 9/3 - 1/3 = 8/3

3. yep thats what I was doing wrong. I was looking at it as one fraction when it was actually two individual complex fractions.

Thanks