# Dividing polynomials question

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1. Mar 7, 2015

### camel-man

Mod note: Moved from a technical math section, so missing the template.

I have this question and the answer but my mathXL does not show me how it came to this conclusion.

(4s3+4s2 + 72)/ s+3

I got all the way to the answer 4s2 - 8s

The correct answer is 4s2 - 8s + 24

I just don't know the steps to getting the +24, because when worked the problem, you cannot minus 72 from 24s.

Anyone can help?

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 7, 2015
2. Mar 7, 2015

### fourier jr

When you did your long division you might have left out the term with s in the numerator. When you work it out it should look like 4s3 + 4s2 + 0s + 72.

3. Mar 7, 2015

### camel-man

YEs that was the problem! thank you fourier jr

4. Mar 7, 2015

### Staff: Mentor

Check your division. Long division is difficult to type up on computers, so if you could take a picture of your work and post it, we could show you where you went wrong.

5. Mar 7, 2015

### Ray Vickson

You wrote
$$\frac{4s^3+4s^2+72}{s} + 3,$$
which is very easy to complete. Did you really mean that, or did you intend
$$\frac{4s^3+4s^2+72}{s + 3}\;?$$
If so, use parentheses, like this: (4s^3+4s^2+72)/(s+3). This is a bit harder than the problem you wrote.