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(x2+3x-4)/(3x-7) Can u simplify and cancel the 3x in the denominator and numerator out

 Jan 22, 2016

Best Answer 

 #1
avatar+33661 
+5

No you can't cancel the 3x's out!

 

(x2+3x-4)/(3x-7) can be written as (x+4)(x-1)/(3x-7)

 Jan 22, 2016
 #1
avatar+33661 
+5
Best Answer

No you can't cancel the 3x's out!

 

(x2+3x-4)/(3x-7) can be written as (x+4)(x-1)/(3x-7)

Alan Jan 22, 2016
 #2
avatar+129847 
+5

Thanks, Alan....

 

BTW....here's a tip if you get stuck like this...it isn't necessarily foolproof, but it might give you a clue.....subsitute a non-zero integer for x and see if we have equivalent expressions if we " cancel" 3x out......I'll use x = 1

 

So

 

[x^2 + 3x - 4]  / [ 3x - 7]    evaluates  to    [0] / [-4]   = 0

 

But

 

[x^2 -4] /  [-7]     evaluates to [-3] / [-7]   = 3/7

 

So....."cancelling" 3x   does NOT result in an equivalent expression........!!!!

 

 

cool cool cool

 Jan 22, 2016
edited by CPhill  Jan 22, 2016

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