Solve negative a minus eight ninths equals one third for a.
To solve for "a", we need to isolate it on one side of the equation.
Starting with the equation: negative a minus eight ninths equals one third.
First, let's add eight ninths to both sides of the equation to move it over to the other side:
negative a - 8/9 + 8/9 = 1/3 + 8/9
Simplifying:
negative a - (8/9 - 8/9) = (3/3) + (8/9)
negative a - 0 = 3/3 + 8/9
Negative a remains the same:
negative a = 3/3 + 8/9
Next, let's find a common denominator for 3 and 9, which is 9:
negative a = 9/9 + 8/9
Simplifying:
negative a = (9 + 8) / 9
Adding the numerators:
negative a = 17 / 9
Finally, to solve for "a", we need to multiply both sides of the equation by -1:
(-1) * (negative a) = (-1) * (17/9)
This gives us:
a = -17/9
Therefore, a = -17/9 is the solution to the equation.