Download Dividing Real Numbers

Dividing Real Numbers
Multiplicative Inverse:


1
a
Note: Zero does not hat a multiplicative inverse.
The reciprocal of a nonzero number a, written
Inverse Property of Multiplication
 The product of a nonzero number and its multiplicative inverse is 1
1 1
 a  a 1
a a
Find the multiplicative inverse:
1
 
5
 -16
Division Rule
 To divide a number a by a nonzero number b, multiply a by the multiplicative
inverse of b.
1
 a  b  a  ,b  0
b
The Sign of a Quotient:
 The quotient of 2 real numbers with the same sign is positive
 The quotient of 2 real numbers with different signs is negative
 The quotient of 0 and any real numbers is 0.
Find the quotient:
  16  4
 5
  20    
 3
Try These:

Simplify the expression
36 x  24
6
Find the Mean:
 To find the mean of a set of data, simply add up all of the numbers in the data set,
and then divide the sum by the number of numbers in the data.
 Example:
o The table gives the daily minimum temperatures (in oF ) in Barrow,
Alaska, for the first 5 days of February 2004. Find the mean of the daily
minimum temperature.
Day in Feb
1
2
3
5
 4
Minimum
-21
-29
-39
-39
-22
Temperature
To find the mean:
21 (29)  (39)  (39)  (22)
5
150

5
30
The mean is -30 degrees F
Try These:
 Find the mean of the numbers, -3, 4, 2.8, and -1.5

 Find the mean daily maximum temperature (in degrees F) in Barrow, Alaska, for
the first 5 days in February 2005.
Day in Feb
1
2
3
4
5
Temperature -3
-20
-21
-22
-18
 Simplify the expressions:
2x  8
o
4
6y 18
o
3
10z  20
o

5

