How do you evaluate -\frac { 7} { 8} \div ( - \frac { 1} { 2} ) ?

1 Answer
Dec 9, 2017

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

First, rewrite this expression as:

(7/-8)/((-1)/2

Now, use this rule for dividing fractions to evaluate the expression:

(color(red)(a)/color(blue)(b))/(color(green)(c)/color(purple)(d)) = (color(red)(a) xx color(purple)(d))/(color(blue)(b) xx color(green)(c))

(color(red)(7)/color(blue)(-8))/(color(green)(-1)/color(purple)(2)) =>

(color(red)(7) xx color(purple)(2))/(color(blue)(-8) xx color(green)(-1)) =>

(color(red)(7) xx color(blue)(cancel(color(purple)(2))))/(color(purple)(cancel(color(blue)(-8))color(blue)(-4)) xx color(green)(-1)) =>

color(red)(7)/(color(blue)(-4) xx color(green)(-1)) =>

7/4