Question

Malcolm was using the back of the math book to check classwork answers. The answer he had on her paper was -2/3 - (1/4 + 1/5) The correct answer in the back of the book said -2/3 - 1/4 + 1/5. Was Malcolm right? Justify your response with numbers and words.

Answer 1

No, Malcolm was not right. The correct answer is -67/60, not -2/3 - 1/4 + 1/5.

Step-by-step explanation:

No, Malcolm was not right. Let's break down the steps to solve this problem:

-2/3 - (1/4 + 1/5)

To simplify the expression, we need to find a common denominator for the fractions inside the parentheses. The least common multiple of 4 and 5 is 20, so we can rewrite the expression as:

-2/3 - (5/20 + 4/20)

Now we can combine the fractions inside the parentheses:

-2/3 - 9/20

To subtract fractions, we need a common denominator. The least common multiple of 3 and 20 is 60, so we can rewrite the expression as:

-40/60 - 27/60

Now we can subtract the fractions:

-67/60

Therefore, the correct answer is -67/60, not -2/3 - 1/4 + 1/5.