# When are numbers negative?

• July 20th 2012, 05:38 AM
Nervous
When are numbers negative?
I did two problems just now and both had positive answers, while I mistakenly got negative answers.

The first, $16x^2 - 16x^2 - 3x$
I thought it would equal 3x, since x - x = 0 and 0 - 3x = -3x

The other, $\frac{6x^2}{x^2-1}=6$ While I got the opposite answer.
Can anyone explain why these answers aren't positive?
• July 20th 2012, 05:58 AM
astartleddeer
Re: When are numbers negative?
Just multiply -3x by minus one.

For the second problem:

$\frac {6x^2}{x^2 - 1} = 6$

$\frac {x^2 - 1}{6x^2} = \frac {1}{6}$

$(6)(x^2 - 1) = (1)(6x^2)$

$6x^2 - 6 = 6x^2$

$(6x^2 -6x^2) -6 = 0$

$0 - 6 = 0$

$-6 = 0$

$(-6)(-1) = (0)(-1)$

$6$

You could have just multiplied out $x^2 - 1$ instead.
• July 20th 2012, 06:35 AM
skeeter
Re: When are numbers negative?
Quote:

Originally Posted by Nervous
I did two problems just now and both had positive answers, while I mistakenly got negative answers.

The first, $16x^2 - 16x^2 - 3x$
I thought it would equal 3x, since x - x = 0 and 0 - 3x = -3x

The other, $\frac{6x^2}{x^2-1}=6$ While I got the opposite answer.
Can anyone explain why these answers aren't positive?

what does "the first" mean ? I don't see an equation ...

fyi, the second equation has no solution for x.