Algebra Help?

Question

Hello.... I need help with my algebra homework. Please help me solve for "m" in this equation:

5 = 4m
---------- ----------
m + 1 m

Yahoo messed up the equation that I set up. "5" is suppose to be over "m+1" and "4m" is suppose to be over "m"..... and those two equations are equal to each other.

5/m+1 = 4m/m
I am sorry..... I have to admit that I am not very good at typing these equations on the computer.

Answer 1

5/(m+1) = (4m)/m

The "m"'s on the right side cancel out.

5/(m+1) = 4

Multiply both sides by (m+1).

(5(m+1))/(m+1) = 4(m+1)

The (m+1)'s now cancel on the left side.

5 = 4(m+1)

Now distribute the 4 on the right side.

5 = 4m+4

Now subtract 4 from both sides of the equation.

5-4 = 4m+4-4

The 4's on the right cancel.

1 = 4m

Now divide both sides by 4 and you get 1/4 = m.

Let's check our answer by substitution.

5/(m+1) = (4m)/m.

Substitute 1/4 for each "m" in the original equation.

5/((1/4)+1) = (4(1/4))/(1/4)

First thing's first, the (1/4)'s on the right cancel out because anything divided by itself is 1.

5/((1/4)+1) = 4

Now we add the (1/4) and the 1 on the left side. 1 can be represented by any number over itself. In this case 4/4.

5/((1/4)+(4/4) = 4

(1/4)+(4/4) = 5/4

5/(5/4) = 4

Now we change the 5 into a fraction, 5/1.

(5/1)/(5/4) = 4

When dividing fractions, multiply the top fraction by the reciprocal of the bottom fraction.

5/1 * 4/5 = (5 * 4)/5 = 4

Now we can see that the 5's cancel and we are left with 4 on each side of the equation, thus proving that "m" does in fact equal 1/4.


I just now noticed that "m = 19" claim. Let's fix his mistake by substitution.

5/(19+1) = (4 * 19)/19

5/20 = 4

5/20 equals .25 so .25 /= 4.

"/=" stands for "is not equal to".

Answer 2

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but if the equation is supposed to be

5/(m+1) = 4m/m

then the answer would be m=19.

4m/m is 4 and if 5/(m=1) has to equal 4, then the denominator must be 20 because 5/20=4. 19+1=20, so m=19.

Answer 3

Hello, what is your problem statement. How about putting () around the various quantities. Is this a proportion?