Hi!

Imagine you want to bring your class from simple skills in fraction manipulation to solving algebra involving with fractions. I am talking from the point of a weak student.

See 1/2 + 1/3 = 3/6 + 2/6 = 5/6 (correct)

but 1/2 (1/3) = 3/6 ( 2/6) = 5/6 (incorrect)

but it looks quite the same. Right? what was that missing here?

Correct. They did not see the second problem as a multiplication type. They still play with adding type of fractions.

This happening in my classes from the schools, polytechnics and my diploma IT class. Can anybody help me explaing this plz before I got to this kind of work. See below:

x / 2 ( x/3) = ?

TQ for your attention Sir.

Regards.
Dr Sazali

Original link: https://nenez9595.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-kind-of-difficulty-in-maths.html