PaperStSoap said:Simplify
(x+3)1/2 - (x+3)3/2
i honestly am so lost on this one
how i approached it was
(x+3)1/2 [1 - ((x+3)3/2 / (x+3)1/2)]
but again, i have no idea what I'm doing.
Jameson said:You're doing it correctly.
Now you need to use the fact that \(\displaystyle \frac{x^a}{x^b}=x^{a-b}\). Here you have the same term, (x+3), both the numerator and denominator so you can subtract the powers. What do you get once you do that?
PaperStSoap said:well 3/2 minus 1/2 equals 1. so wouldn't [(x+3)/(x+3)] = 1?
PaperStSoap said:so that would come out to
(x+3)^1/2 [1 - (x + 3)]
PaperStSoap said:(x+3)^1/2[-x+2] ?
Simplifying refers to the process of reducing an expression to its most basic form by combining like terms, removing parentheses, and using mathematical operations to simplify the expression.
The purpose of simplifying this expression is to make it easier to understand and work with. Simplifying an expression can also reveal patterns and relationships that may not be immediately apparent.
Yes, the distributive property can be used to simplify this expression. You can distribute the exponent of 1/2 to each term inside the parentheses and then combine like terms.
No, you cannot cancel out the (x+3) terms in this expression since they have different exponents. Instead, you can use the distributive property and combine like terms to simplify the expression.
Yes, there is a specific order to follow when simplifying this expression. You should first distribute the exponent of 1/2 to each term inside the parentheses, then combine like terms, and finally use any applicable mathematical operations to simplify the expression further.