ORDERS OF OPERATIONS

[fgw]

can someone help with this problem
1/4-6(2+8)divided by(-1/3)(-1/9)
IVE GOT
1/4-6(10)/1/27
1/4-60/1/27
lost

 

[mmm4444bot]

[1/4 - 6(2 + 8)]/[(-1/3)(-1/9)]

[1/4 - 6(10)]/(1/27)

(1/4 - 60)/(1/27)

lost

Hi FGW:

You've done good, so far.

The next step is to subtract 60 from 1/4.

To do this, we need a common denominator. In other words, we need to rewrite 60 in terms of some number of fourths.

60 = ?/4

After you do the subtraction 1/4 - ?/4, then you'll have a single fraction being divided by 1/27.

To divide by a fraction, we multiply by the reciprocal instead.

For example:

(45/5)/(1/27) = (45/5)*(27/1)

Cheers ~ Mark

 

[Denis]

1/4-6(2+8)divided by(-1/3)(-1/9)

If this is an exercise on "order of operations" as your title suggests, then what that means is:
1/4 - 6(2 + 8)/(-1/3) * (-1/9)
= 1/4 - 60/(-1/3) * (-1/9)
= 1/4 - (-180) * (-1/9)
= 1/4 - 20
= -19 3/4

If a division by (-1/3)(-1/9) was meant, then that would be shown as ((-1/3)(-1/9))

 

[mmm4444bot]

… then what [1/4-6(2+8)divided by(-1/3)(-1/9)] means is:

1/4 - 6(2 + 8)/(-1/3) * (-1/9) …

Possibly true, possibly true.

Definitely true, if they were to have typed the following, instead.

1/4-6(2+8)/(-1/3)(-1/9)

I interpret "divided by" as intended to be a bisective grouping symbol (synonymous with a fraction bar).

In other words:

everything this side on top]divided by[everything this side on bottom

I'm thinking that "divided by" is just how someone would type it, if they wanted to indicate a fraction bar, but didn't know how. Of course, that's pure speculation on my part!

If my interpretation is wrong, then maybe they switched to "divided by" out of some sense that three slashes look weird so close together?

(Okay, that meets 25% of September's quota for razzing Denis.)

I'll finish by showing the original poster a third way for typing compound fractions. (Ooh, maybe that emphasis adds another 10%.)

[1/4 - 6(2+8)]/[(-1/3)(-1/9)]

 

[Denis]

Inspector Denis Clouseau he says de poster used le slash in de fractions (1/4, 1/3, 1/9) and
derefore no did realise de slash was for la division sign, so he wrote "divided by"...

Monsieur Fgw, me wants you to no that de fraction she's really de division;
so dere la fraction 1/3 is really won divided by tree...

[CATO! dis is knot de time.....]