Message from @micbwilli
Discord ID: 407760089676775434
How do I get 1/24?
When I multiply I get 54/1296 and i don't know how to reduce it because I'm bad at fractions
Simplify 6/9 * 9/144
The 9s cancel out
54/54 = 1 and 1296/54 = 24
And 6 goes into 144 24 times
So cancelled out the 9s and divide 6/144 ?
Is that mastering physics but for math
Yes
Or what @micbwilli said
Either works
Okay thanks @GetOffMyState#8267
@micbwilli could you explain your way a bit more? How do you know that's what your supposed to do?
Both rely on what I did above with another example
For your example think about how 6/9 * 9/144 = 9/9 * 6/144
The 9/9 is 1 and can therefore be ignored
If you are trying to reduce a fraction start with a common number and just work down.
So like with 54/1296, both are multiples or 9. I knew 54 was and I checked 1296. That's 6/144. I see if 6 can be used to divide 144, and since it can it becomes 1/24.
6/144 = 6 /(24 * 6) = 6/6 * 1/24
^ this
This is so complicated lol. Okay. So just find the GCD and then reduce it down.
Or in this case, I could just divide 6/144
Right?
Yes
Because the 9s happen to cancel out
And if it's not a problem where it can cancel out then what?
You can find the GCD
Okay
Thanks. Yall
On another note, why do we teach PEMDAS when it should be PEDMSA?
Multiplication and division are the same really
Same with addition and subtraction
So PEMDAS is easier to remember
I've gotten answers wrong for doing multiplication first sometimes though
And same with addition and sibtraction
You might be breaking another rule or your teachers suck. Unless I’m forgetting something that’s wrong and you shouldn’t have been marked down
If you are using a computer program it is probably programmed by someone diverse and doesn’t account for multiple but equally valid ways to the answer
This class is online. The teacher just supervises. I followed PEMDAS as taught but when I did I kept getting answers wrong and when I viewed the solution they were doing division first