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by **guestperson** on Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:14 pm

11/2 equals "One plus a half" or "1+1/2"

Well would that be same for "a 2/3"?
Would "a 2/3" be "a plus two thirds" or "a+2/3"?
If yes, then what would be "a multiplied by 2/3" (in simplest form)?
Wouldn't it technically be "a 2/3"?

So does "a 2/3" equal
"a multiplied by two thirds"?
OR
"a plus two thirds"?

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by **stapel_eliz** on Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:08 pm

When people write "a(2/3)", this means "the variable 'a', times the fraction two-thirds". In anything other than mixed numbers, one must add "a" and "two-thirds" by putting a "plus" sign between them.

I am not familiar with any "mixed number/variable" notation such as $a\frac{2}{3}$ , so I can't speak specifically to that. :oops:

by **Honeysuckle588** on Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:18 pm

As a college math teacher, I would read $a\frac{2}{3}$ as a students mistake in representing $\frac{2}{3}a$ which would be interpreted as 2/3 TIMES a (i.e. 2/3 is the coefficient on a).

I've never seen variables used in mixed numbers.

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