@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

If you are unsure there to start diving top and bottom by 2 works if both numbers are even.

^ this

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_common_divisor

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

Yes omg

The worst part is that it only counts one answer correct. And if you don't get that correct it marks it wrong even if you understand the concept

Bring it up in office hours, that’s BS

And you cant practice the same problem twice

It keeps changing it up

This sounds a lot like mastering physics

Whenever you get it wrong

Yeah haha and I am not a scientific person

I'm majoring in media production.

Bring it up with whoever you can. If you actually understand the concepts you shouldn’t be graded down

I might. My instructor is Asian with a broken accent of course. Yeah I've demonstrated that I understand how to do the concepts

Send screenshots or show photos of your work and really nail them down. Say “show me what’s wrong or the programming is bad”

If you have white TAs or even TAs that speak English use them