Mathematics ACT Aspire Practice Test

What would be the outcome of 3/4 divided by -1/2?

1. -3/8

2. 3/8

3. -6/4

4. 3/2

The correct answer is: 3/2

To find the outcome of \( \frac{3}{4} \div -\frac{1}{2} \), we can rewrite the division of fractions as multiplication by the reciprocal. So the problem becomes: \[ \frac{3}{4} \times -\frac{2}{1} \] When multiplying these fractions, we multiply the numerators together and the denominators together: \[ \frac{3 \times -2}{4 \times 1} = \frac{-6}{4} \] This fraction can be simplified. Both 6 and 4 can be divided by 2: \[ \frac{-6}{4} = \frac{-3}{2} \] The correct outcome is \( \frac{-3}{2} \), which means that when dividing by negative fractions, the overall sign of the result must also be taken into account, resulting in a negative answer. Thus, \( -\frac{3}{2} \) reflects this. Therefore, the accurate answer to the question is not option D. The proper interpretation of the arithmetic leads us to conclude that \( -\frac{3}{2} \) correctly summarizes the process of dividing \( \frac{3