Is the slope 3/4 the same as -3/-4? In other words, do the negatives cancel each other out and become a positive number?
Thanks!
correct. -3/-4 = (-1)(3) / (-1)(4) = 3/4
The -1's cancel out
Thank you, Steve.
Yes, the slope 3/4 is indeed the same as -3/-4. The reason is that when you have a fraction with a negative numerator and a negative denominator, the negatives cancel each other out and become a positive number.
To further explain this concept, let's take a closer look at why the negatives cancel out. Remember that a negative divided by a negative is the same as a positive divided by a positive. So, when you have -3/-4, you can rewrite it as (-1 * 3) / (-1 * 4). By multiplying both the numerator and the denominator by -1, the negatives cancel out and become positive, resulting in 3/4.
In general, when you have a fraction with a negative numerator and a negative denominator, you can simplify it by multiplying both the numerator and the denominator by -1 to obtain the positive equivalent.