- #1
danni7070
- 92
- 0
How do I simplify this?
[tex] \frac{1}{x-2} - \frac{1}{x^2-4} = \frac{(x^2-4)-(x-2)}{(x^2-4)(x-2)}[/tex]
[tex] \frac{1}{x-2} - \frac{1}{x^2-4} = \frac{(x^2-4)-(x-2)}{(x^2-4)(x-2)}[/tex]
danni7070 said:Like this?
[tex] \frac{x^2-x-2}{(x-2)(x+2)(x-2)} [/tex]
They said factor the numerator! (Although factoring the denominator doesn't hurt.)danni7070 said:Like this?
[tex] \frac{x^2-x-2}{(x-2)(x+2)(x-2)} [/tex]
Simplifying a fraction means reducing the fraction to its simplest form by dividing the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor.
To simplify the given fraction, you need to factor the numerator and denominator. Then, cancel out any common factors and multiply the remaining factors to get the simplified form.
The common factors in the numerator and denominator of the given fraction are (x-2) and (x-2)(x+2).
The greatest common factor (GCF) of the given fraction is (x-2).
Yes, the given fraction can be simplified further as (x-2) can be factored out from the numerator and denominator, resulting in the simplified form of \frac{1}{x+2}.