You want to place a towel bar that is 8 1⁄4 inches long in the center of a door that is 26 1⁄3 inches long. How far should you place the bar from each edge of the door?
We can set this up as an algebraic equation. X will equal the distance from the side of the door to the towel bar.
2x + 8 1/4 = 26 1/3
2x +33/4 = 79/3 ---Multiply the first fraction by 3/3 and the second by 4/4 to get a common denimiator.
2x + 99/12 = 316/12 ---Subtract 99/12 from both sides
2x = 217/12 ---Divide both sides by 2
x = 217/12 ÷ 2 ---Dividing is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal
x = 217/12 * 1/2
x = 217/24
x = 9 and 1/24 inches
Here's a picture of this door:
To check this, let's add 8 1/4 + 9 1/24 + 9 1/24, and if they equal 26 1/3 inches then it works!
8 1/4 + 9 1/24 + 9 1/24
8 1/4 + 18 2/24
26 + 1/4 + 2/24 ---Multiply 1/4 by 6/6 to get a common denominator
26 + 6/24 + 2/24
26 + 8/24 ---Reduce the fraction by dividing the top and bottom by 8
26 + 1/3
It works!