Chapter 5: Problem 28
Simplify
Short Answer
Expert verified
Question: Simplify the given mathematical expression: .
Answer:
Step by step solution
01
Identify the common factors in both terms of the expression
We have the expression . Note that both terms have a common factor of .
02
Factor out the common term
Factor out from both terms. This gives us: .
03
Simplify the expression inside the parentheses
To simplify the expression inside the parentheses, find a common denominator for the two fractions. The common denominator will be . Rewrite the fractions with this common denominator: .
04
Simplify the numerator in the parentheses
Simplify the numerator by combining the terms in the parentheses: .
05
Combine the fractions
Combine the fractions by multiplying the numerators and denominators: .
06
Simplify the final expression if possible
We can further simplify the expression by canceling out the 2 in the numerator and denominator: .
The final simplified expression is: .
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Factorization
Factorization is like finding building blocks that are common in terms of an expression. In our example, the expression has a common factor of in both terms. Recognizing this allows us to "factor it out" which simplifies the expression to: . By removing the common factor, simplifying further operations becomes more manageable.
Common Denominator
When dealing with fractions in an expression, finding a common denominator is crucial to simplifying. In our case, we need to subtract and . The least common denominator here is , allowing us to combine the fractions. We rewrite the expression inside the parenthesis as:
Fractions
Fractions represent parts of a whole and can sometimes get tricky when combining or simplifying. In our expression, we deal with subtracting fractions with like terms. Once rewritten with the common denominator found earlier, it's crucial to focus on the numerators:
Numerator and Denominator Simplification
To simplify the fraction, we focus on combining the numerators properly. With the expression
,
we can simplify the numerator to . This makes the fraction .
Combine this perspective with the common factor from the overall expression: .
Now, you can simplify further to:
we can simplify the numerator to
Combine this perspective with the common factor from the overall expression:
Now, you can simplify further to:
- Which reduces to
by canceling out the "2".