What term can you add to [tex]\frac{5}{6} x - 4[/tex] to make it equivalent to [tex]\frac{1}{2} x - 4[/tex]?

A. [tex]-\frac{1}{3} x[/tex]
B. [tex]-\frac{1}{3}[/tex]
C. [tex]\frac{1}{2} x[/tex]
D. [tex]\frac{1}{2}[/tex]

Answer :

To solve the problem of finding a term that can be added to [tex]\(\frac{5}{6} x - 4\)[/tex] to make it equivalent to [tex]\(\frac{1}{2} x - 4\)[/tex], we need to focus on the coefficients of [tex]\(x\)[/tex].

Here are the steps:

1. Identify the Coefficients of [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
- In the expression [tex]\(\frac{5}{6} x - 4\)[/tex], the coefficient of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] is [tex]\(\frac{5}{6}\)[/tex].
- In the expression [tex]\(\frac{1}{2} x - 4\)[/tex], the coefficient of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] is [tex]\(\frac{1}{2}\)[/tex].

2. Calculate the Difference:
- To make the first expression equivalent to the second, we need the coefficients of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] to be the same.
- Find the difference between these coefficients:
[tex]\[
\frac{1}{2} - \frac{5}{6}
\][/tex]

3. Convert to a Common Denominator:
- Convert [tex]\(\frac{1}{2}\)[/tex] to have a denominator of 6:
[tex]\[
\frac{1}{2} = \frac{3}{6}
\][/tex]

4. Calculate the Difference:
- Now calculate [tex]\(\frac{3}{6} - \frac{5}{6}\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[
\frac{3}{6} - \frac{5}{6} = \frac{3 - 5}{6} = \frac{-2}{6} = -\frac{1}{3}
\][/tex]

5. Conclusion:
- The term that needs to be added to [tex]\(\frac{5}{6} x - 4\)[/tex] to equate it with [tex]\(\frac{1}{2} x - 4\)[/tex] is [tex]\(-\frac{1}{3} x\)[/tex].

So, the correct answer is [tex]\(-\frac{1}{3} x\)[/tex].