How do you solve $\frac{- 4}{p - 1} = \frac{- 1}{p - 7}$ $\frac { - 4} { p - 1} = \frac { - 1} { p - 7}$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2018-03-31T20:16:04

$p = 9$ $p=9$

$\frac{- 4}{p - 1} = \frac{- 1}{p - 7}$ $(-4)/(p-1) = (-1)/(p-7)$

Cross multiply

$(- 4) (p - 7) = (- 1) (p - 1)$ $(-4)(p-7)=(-1)(p-1)$

Then use the distributive property

$(- 4) (p) + (- 4) (- 7) = (- 1) (p) + (- 1) (- 1)$ $(-4)(p) + (-4)(-7) = (-1)(p)+(-1)(-1)$

$- 4 p + 28 = - p + 1$ $-4p + 28 = -p + 1$

Add $p$ $p$ on both sides

$- 4 p + 28 + p = - p + 1 + p$ $-4p + 28 + p = -p + 1 + p$

$- 3 p + 28 = 1$ $-3p + 28 = 1$

Then add $28$ $28$ on both sides

$- 3 p + 28 - 28 = 1 - 28$ $-3p + 28 - 28 = 1 - 28$

$- 3 p = - 27$ $-3p= -27$

Divide both sides by $- 3$ $-3$

$(cancel(-3)p)/cancel(-3)= (-27)/(-3)$

$p=9$

How do you solve \frac { - 4} { p - 1} = \frac { - 1} { p - 7}−4p−1=−1p−7\frac { - 4} { p - 1} = \frac { - 1} { p - 7}?