Arithmetic · real student question

Evaluate one sixth times the square root of 8.64 divided by 1.49.

Question

Evaluate:

168.641.49\frac{1}{6}\sqrt{\frac{8.64}{1.49}}

(The numbers were written as 8,648{,}64 and 1,491{,}49 in comma-decimal notation.)

Step-by-step solution

  1. Read the commas as decimal points. In continental notation 8,648{,}64 and 1,491{,}49 mean 8.648.64 and 1.491.49 — they are not thousands separators and not a list of two numbers. So the expression is

    168.641.49\frac{1}{6}\sqrt{\frac{8.64}{1.49}}

  2. Simplify the fraction inside the radical. Clear the decimals by multiplying top and bottom by 100100:

    8.641.49=8641495.798658\frac{8.64}{1.49}=\frac{864}{149}\approx 5.798658

    Keeping 864/149864/149 as an exact fraction is what makes an exact answer possible (149149 is prime, so this cannot reduce).

  3. Split the radical and pull out the square factor. Since 864=1446864=144\cdot 6 and 144=12\sqrt{144}=12,

    864149=864149=126149\sqrt{\frac{864}{149}}=\frac{\sqrt{864}}{\sqrt{149}}=\frac{12\sqrt6}{\sqrt{149}}

  4. Divide by 6 and rationalise. The 1212 cancels against the 66:

    16126149=26149=26149149=2894149\frac{1}{6}\cdot\frac{12\sqrt6}{\sqrt{149}}=\frac{2\sqrt6}{\sqrt{149}}=\frac{2\sqrt{6\cdot 149}}{149}=\frac{2\sqrt{894}}{149}

    That is the exact value, with no radical left in the denominator.

  5. Get the decimal and check it backwards. 89429.89983\sqrt{894}\approx 29.89983, so

    2(29.89983)1490.401340\frac{2(29.89983)}{149}\approx 0.401340

    To verify, multiply by 66 and square: (60.401340)2=2.4080425.79866(6\cdot 0.401340)^2=2.40804^2\approx 5.79866, which is exactly 8.64/1.498.64/1.49. So the answer rounds to 0.40130.4013.

Answer

168.641.49=28941490.4013\frac{1}{6}\sqrt{\frac{8.64}{1.49}}=\frac{2\sqrt{894}}{149}\approx 0.4013

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