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23 votes
23 votes
P - 1/-3 = -4. what is the value of p

User Jordi Corominas
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1 Answer

14 votes
14 votes

from the expression: p - 1/-3 = -4, we need to solve for p.

When we have a positive number divided by a negative number the result is a negative number, that's why we can rewrite 1/-3 as -1/3, then we get:

p - (-1/3) = -4

Subtracting a negative number is equivalent to adding it, then we get:

p + 1/3 = -4

Now, if we subtract 1/3 on both sides, we get:

p + 1/3 - 1/3 = -4 - 1/3

p + 0 = -4 - 1/3

p = -4 - 1/3

To do the subtraction on the right side, we have to make sure that the numbers have the same denominator, we can do this by multiplying and dividing the 4 by 3, like this:

p = -4*3/3 - 1/3

p = -12/3 - 1/3

Now we can make the subtraction:

p = (-12- 1)/3 = -13/3

Then, the value of p is -13/3

User Scott Mudge
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