GRE Math Tricks: The "Something" Method for complicated equations

[AandKlikepie10]

Wow that is so helpful me and my friend are only in fifth grade but we are advanced so we do stuff like this me and my friend always had trouble now it will be easy

[dahbialucky]

I dont know why I did not find the same resulat although i have used the very same method... 5-6y/x = 3 and then, we move 5 to the other side to get 6Y/x = 8 and not 2 ???? and this way you will get: 4X= 3Y .... please help

[MagooshGRE]

@dahbialucky I think you just have to look carefully at the algebra here: if we have 5-6y/x=3, you'll have to subtract (not add!) 5 from both sides, which would give you -6y/x=-2, which is equivalent to 6y/x=2. This is why the "Something" method is helpful, because all you have to think is, "5 minus something is 3", and since we know that 5-2=3, we can skip to 6y/x=2 without the step-by-step algebra. Hope that helps!

[dahbialucky]

@MagooshGRE Indeed, it does and I am a lot grateful to your help.

But, what I did not understand is that both ways should work just fine, right ???

How come when we move 5 to the other side we get a different result!!!

PS: are you making videos about the AWA, please?

I shall take my gre on Oct 22nd !!!

[dahbialucky]

@MagooshGRE I think it's my mistake .... I just got it now !!!

We write from right to left in arabic and i made the error with the pluses and minuses !!!

Thank you! I just enjoy learning from the Magoosh channel!

[MagooshGRE]

@dahbialucky You're welcome, we're glad you find it helpful :)

[deelishussdee]

whoa, u just blew my mind. that is so useful!

[bigworld3001]

Absolutely fantastic!

[sebtamgeospa]

love it love it, thanks!!

[ankusherpa9]

Thank you!!!! This helped a lot!



[MagooshGRE]

@ankusherpa9 I'm glad it helped!

[WellConditionedChimp]

This tutorial gave me wood

[MagooshGRE]

@WellConditionedChimp - I appreciate the sentiment :). Good luck with the GRE!

[chan2946]

Brilliant!

[MagooshGRE]

@chan2946 - Thanks! Hope your GRE prep is going well!