I can! It would be a lot easier if I could tell if y1 was supposed to equal +10 or -10, but I suppose I can't win them all. Your answer is either -2 (assuming y1 = 10) or 8 (assuming that y1 = -10). For the remainder of this answer though, I will be assuming that y1 = 10. Things would get a little repetitive otherwise!
What the question is asking you to do is substitute the numbers for their respective letters. So what you want to do first is reduce the equation like so:
(6 - 10) / (3 - 1)
Now is the time for BEDMAS to shine. BEDMAS is the ordering system for mathematical functions. When performing complex calculations like the one above, you want to perform each individual calculation in the order of Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction. BEDMAS!
Let's tackle the brackets first. What we get is:
(-4) / (2)
Very simple, right? If you're not familiar with multiplying and dividing negative numbers (also called factors), then here is a crash course. When you take one negative and multiply it by another negative, the sum will be a positive number. When you multiply a negative number by a positive number however, the resulting number will be negative. The same rules apply to division.
Since our question asks us to divide -4 by +2, we know our answer will be a negative number. Figuring that number out is incredibly easy. Just divide 4 by 2 as you normally would and tag a minus sign to the front of the answer. Thus, the solution to your formula is (drum roll, please):
-2!
Substitutions like this one are pretty straightforward and easy to complete once you get the hang of them. Keep BEDMAS in mind and don't try to over-complicate things for yourself. As practice, see if you can simplify the following formula:
(x1 + y2) / (x2 - y1), where x1 = 7, x2 = 4, y1 = 9, and y2 = 3.
The answer should be the same.
What the question is asking you to do is substitute the numbers for their respective letters. So what you want to do first is reduce the equation like so:
(6 - 10) / (3 - 1)
Now is the time for BEDMAS to shine. BEDMAS is the ordering system for mathematical functions. When performing complex calculations like the one above, you want to perform each individual calculation in the order of Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction. BEDMAS!
Let's tackle the brackets first. What we get is:
(-4) / (2)
Very simple, right? If you're not familiar with multiplying and dividing negative numbers (also called factors), then here is a crash course. When you take one negative and multiply it by another negative, the sum will be a positive number. When you multiply a negative number by a positive number however, the resulting number will be negative. The same rules apply to division.
Since our question asks us to divide -4 by +2, we know our answer will be a negative number. Figuring that number out is incredibly easy. Just divide 4 by 2 as you normally would and tag a minus sign to the front of the answer. Thus, the solution to your formula is (drum roll, please):
-2!
Substitutions like this one are pretty straightforward and easy to complete once you get the hang of them. Keep BEDMAS in mind and don't try to over-complicate things for yourself. As practice, see if you can simplify the following formula:
(x1 + y2) / (x2 - y1), where x1 = 7, x2 = 4, y1 = 9, and y2 = 3.
The answer should be the same.
