Blog: -3+12/4 Insert brackets in the correct place to make 2.25

Sunday, January 17, 2010

You need to place the number (-3) to numerator and to put the difference -3+12 into brackets, such that:

$\displaystyle\frac{{-{3}+{12}}}{{4}}=\frac{{9}}{{4}}={2.25}$

If you place the number -3 outside the brackets, the evaluation will be different, such that:

$\displaystyle-{3}+{\left(\frac{{12}}{{4}}\right)}=-{3}+{3}={0}$

Hence, the value of 2.25 may be obtained, in this case, by placing the sum -3+12 between brackets and the result will be 2.25.

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