Author Topic: Hey, look, I divided by zero!  (Read 4744 times)


These two things state I was unsure of my answer.
you were still wrong
so it was a mistake
you made a mistake
it was silly
it was a silly mistake

Here goes...
Assume that a=b
Therefore, a+a=a+b
Which can be simplified to 2a=a+b
Subtract 2b from both sides, like this: 2a-2b=a+b-2b
Redistribute the left and subtract the right and yield 2(a-b)=a-b
Divide by (a-b), which is zero in this equation, and the result is...

2=1

What now, an earthquake?




If a=b then 2a=2b so 2a-2b = 0 amirite?
« Last Edit: June 04, 2010, 11:35:09 PM by Pew446 »

you logic: 2(a-b)=a-b is 1=0

your just dividing zero by zero, math fail.

substitute in a number

a=6
b=6

2(6-6)=(6-6)

simplify
2(0)=0

0=0

fail!
« Last Edit: June 04, 2010, 11:46:06 PM by ase »

Here goes...
Assume that a=b
Therefore, a+a=a+b
Which can be simplified to 2a=a+b
Subtract 2b from both sides, like this: 2a-2b=a+b-2b
Redistribute the left and subtract the right and yield 2(a-b)=a-b
Divide by (a-b), which is zero in this equation, and the result is...

2=1

What now, an earthquake?
This is wrong

Because in the equation 2(a-b)=a-b is basically 0=0

And if you divide by a-b you will only get 2 because you had 2 0's. which is still 0.

You could do the same thing with 3.

3(a-b)=a-b
Which would make it 3.


Now quit bullstuffting us with equations and divide something that isn't 0.

2(a-b)=a-b
divide by (a-b)
2 = a/(a-b) - b/(a-b)


to go further

a = b thus
2 = a/(a-a) - a/(a-a)
or 2 = a/0 - a/0

Once you divide by zero its over, you forgeted up.
Stop trying to solve this.