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Suppose x = a/b, y = c/b, and a, b, and c do not equal 0. What is x/y in terms of a, b, and c? Explain your answer.

a) x/y = a/c
b) x/y = ac
c) x/y = a²/c²
d) x/y = c/a

User Declicart
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The ratio x/y given x = a/b and y = c/b is calculated by dividing x by y, which can be simplified to (a/b) * (b/c). Here, the b's cancel out, leaving us with a/c.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the ratio x/y in terms of a, b, and c, given that x = a/b and y = c/b, we simply divide x by y. This process involves dividing fractions. When we divide by a fraction, it is equivalent to multiplying by its reciprocal. So, x/y can be written as (a/b) /(c/b).

Now, we multiply by the reciprocal of y which is b/c. This gives us (a/b) * (b/c). In this multiplication, the b in the numerator and the b in the denominator will cancel each other out, leaving us with a/c.

Thus, the ratio x/y in terms of a, b, and c is a/c, which corresponds to option (a)

User John Howard
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