The answer is x = 4. It appears that the fastest way to find it is to plug in the values. If I plug in 1 to the middle term, then the denominator is zero. So, x cannot be 1. Similarly, it can't be 2 because the denominator of the third term would be zero. Therefore, x is either 3 or 4. Three doesn't work because the terms are 1/5, 1/2, and 1. The sum is not one, which it needs to be. Plug in 4 and I get 1/6 + 1/3 + 1/2 = 1/6 + 2/6 + 3/6 = 6/6 = 1. Four is the correct answer.
The answer is x = 4. It appears that the fastest way to find it is to plug in the values. If I plug in 1 to the middle term, then the denominator is zero. So, x cannot be 1. Similarly, it can't be 2 because the denominator of the third term would be zero. Therefore, x is either 3 or 4. Three doesn't work because the terms are 1/5, 1/2, and 1. The sum is not one, which it needs to be. Plug in 4 and I get 1/6 + 1/3 + 1/2 = 1/6 + 2/6 + 3/6 = 6/6 = 1. Four is the correct answer.
It's also useful to graph the left hand side on Desmos and see what it looks like.
42
?
@@TheTentativeTutor British humor.
Oh OK lol