solve   5/w=8/w-1/2

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John -It may seem weird to have the variable in denominator, but actually it is quite easy to solve.Just like any fractions, you can add or subtract them as long as they have the same denominator.  So here is the way to solve it:5/w = 8/w - 1/2, now subtract 5/w from both sides:0 = 3/w - 1/2, now add 1/2 to both sides:1/2 = 3/wThe best way to solve from here is to simply use cross multiplication:1 * w = 2 * 3w = 6Hope that helps

John -When you multiply both sides of an equation by a variable expression (such as 2w) you must be sure to check your solutions to make sure they satisfy the original statement.Multiplying both sides of an equation by a variable expression may produce extraneous solutions.Be very careful to check your answer back in the original equation!