Solve the following​ equation, and check your solutions.

StartFraction 11 Over y EndFraction plus 9 equals StartFraction 3 Over y EndFraction

1 answer

To solve the equation \( \frac{11}{y} + 9 = \frac{3}{y} \), let's first eliminate the fractions by multiplying both sides by \( y \) (assuming \( y \neq 0 \)):

\[ y \left( \frac{11}{y} + 9 \right) = y \left( \frac{3}{y} \right) \]

This simplifies to:

\[ 11 + 9y = 3 \]

Next, we will isolate \( y \) by rearranging the equation:

\[ 9y = 3 - 11 \]

\[ 9y = -8 \]

Now, divide both sides by 9:

\[ y = -\frac{8}{9} \]

Now, we have a potential solution. Let’s check this by substituting \( y = -\frac{8}{9} \) back into the original equation:

  1. Calculate \( \frac{11}{y} \):

\[ \frac{11}{-\frac{8}{9}} = 11 \cdot -\frac{9}{8} = -\frac{99}{8} \]

  1. Calculate \( \frac{3}{y} \):

\[ \frac{3}{-\frac{8}{9}} = 3 \cdot -\frac{9}{8} = -\frac{27}{8} \]

  1. Substitute the values into the original equation and simplify:

\[ -\frac{99}{8} + 9 \stackrel{?}{=} -\frac{27}{8} \]

To combine \( -\frac{99}{8} + 9 \), convert 9 to a fraction with a denominator of 8:

\[ 9 = \frac{72}{8} \]

Now add:

\[ -\frac{99}{8} + \frac{72}{8} = \frac{-99 + 72}{8} = \frac{-27}{8} \]

Thus:

\[ -\frac{27}{8} = -\frac{27}{8} \]

The left side equals the right side, confirming that our solution is correct.

Therefore, the solution to the equation is:

\[ \boxed{-\frac{8}{9}} \]