[CPU]

I need somebody to:

-Explain BEDMAS in details to me
-Explain how to get a common denominator with 2 fractions
-Explain what rational numbers are exactly

Thank-you!

[OversouL]

BEDMAS tells us that brackets are the highest priority, then exponents, then both divi- sion and multiplication, and finally addition and subtraction. This means that we evaluate exponents before we multiply, divide before we subtract, etc.
https://cemc.math.uwaterloo.ca/events/ma...6_Oct8.pdf

To get a common denominator with 2 fractions, just multiply both denominator.



A rational number is any number that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction p/q of two integers, p and q, with the denominator q not equal to zero. Since q may be equal to 1, every integer is a rational number.
(Basically a rational number is a fraction)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_number

[Eclipse]

-snip-

Anyone can use Google, mate. Explain it in your own words.

Oh, and multiplying the denominators will not always give you the lowest common factor, which is the optimal solution. With that method, you'd have to cancel down the answer further. What you should do is list the times table for the denominators and see the first common one. I do this in my head, but if you can't then you can use a paper. Example:

1/2 + 4/10

2 and 10 are the denominators.

2: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
10: 10

We didn't have to change the 10, but we multiplied the 2 by 5 to get 10. The rule with fractions is that whatever you do to the denominator, you have to do to the numerator. You multiplied the bottom by 5, so you have to multiply gbe top by 5. Think of it as what did you multiply the bottom by to get the lowest common denominator, and then multiply the top by that.

5/10 + 4/10

Now you can just add the numerators: 9/10

A rational number is not defined as being a fraction. It's any number that CAN be written as a fraction. All the normal integers, i.e. 2, 5 ,7 , 23, are rational because you can write them as over 1. So 2/1 is 2 divided by 1, which is 2. The same goes for negative integers. -2/1 is -2. Therefore it's also rational. Even 0.3 recurring is still a rational number, because it can be written as 1/3. Irrational numbers are obviously the opposite. They can't be written as fractions. Examples: the square root of 2, or Pi.

I'd say use PEMDAS instead of BEDMAS. Oh, and note that the order of operations, pemdas, bodmas, whatever you want to call it, isn't a real mathematical thing. Just a structure designed to make teaching maths easier in schools. And while it works most of the time, it pulls the fun out of maths and teaches kids to do maths like robots.

PEMDAS:

Parenthesis first. Do everything inside the brackets first. Then exponents. (Powers). Now, the next two are a pair. Multiplication and division. They rank equally, so just go left to right. Same with addition and subtraction.

Also, moved this to the correct section.

[Dismas]

Am sort of convinced we need an academics/education section.

[Eclipse]

Am sort of convinced we need an academics/education section.

Yes we do. I can sort out moving threads etc.