How to Divide Inequalities

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By William D. Gardlock
eHow Contributing Writer

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(1 Ratings)

Math isn't that bad!

Learning how to solve algebraic equations can be tricky at first, but get easier as you go. Solving inequalities is nearly the same thing, only there is one rule that will affect your answer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Pencil
Paper
Calculator (optional)

Dividing Inequalities

Step 1

Let's examine the inequality. Solve for x. 4x-3>9
Step 2

Add three to each side to cancel the -3. 4x>12
Step 3

Now comes the division. Divide this inequality by 4 on each side to get your answer. x>3Notice nothing is different with this inequality than with a regular equation. Now, lets go back to the last step and make the '4' a '-4'
Step 4

-4x>12 = x<3Notice that when we divided this time, the sign changed. This is the golden rule of dividing (and multiplying) an inequality. If the number you are dividing is a negative, change the sign.