document.write( "Question 151209: 1/x+2 +1/2=1/x-2 - 2x/x^2-4 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #111096 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"1%2F%28x%2B2%29+%2B1%2F2=1%2F%28x-2%29+-+%282x%29%2F%28x%5E2-4%29\" Start with the given equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"1%2F%28x%2B2%29+%2B1%2F2=1%2F%28x-2%29+-+%282x%29%2F%28%28x%2B2%29%28x-2%29%29\" Factor \"x%5E2-4\" to get \"%28x%2B2%29%28x-2%29\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " Multiply every term on both sides by the LCD \"2%28x%2B2%29%28x-2%29\". Doing this will eliminate all of the fractions.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2%28x-2%29%2B%28x%2B2%29%28x-2%29=2%28x%2B2%29%2B2%28-2x%29\" Simplify\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2%28x-2%29%2Bx%5E2-4=2%28x%2B2%29%2B2%28-2x%29\" FOIL\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x-4%2Bx%5E2-4=2x%2B4-4x\" Distribute\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x-4%2Bx%5E2-4-2x-4%2B4x=0\" Get all terms to the left side.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2%2B4x-12=0\" Combine like terms.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice we have a quadratic equation in the form of \"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc\" where \"a=1\", \"b=4\", and \"c=-12\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's use the quadratic formula to solve for x\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F%282a%29\" Start with the quadratic formula\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-%284%29+%2B-+sqrt%28+%284%29%5E2-4%281%29%28-12%29+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Plug in \"a=1\", \"b=4\", and \"c=-12\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+16-4%281%29%28-12%29+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Square \"4\" to get \"16\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+16--48+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Multiply \"4%281%29%28-12%29\" to get \"-48\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+16%2B48+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Rewrite \"sqrt%2816--48%29\" as \"sqrt%2816%2B48%29\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+64+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Add \"16\" to \"48\" to get \"64\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+sqrt%28+64+%29%29%2F%282%29\" Multiply \"2\" and \"1\" to get \"2\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B-+8%29%2F%282%29\" Take the square root of \"64\" to get \"8\". \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-4+%2B+8%29%2F%282%29\" or \"x+=+%28-4+-+8%29%2F%282%29\" Break up the expression. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%284%29%2F%282%29\" or \"x+=++%28-12%29%2F%282%29\" Combine like terms. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+2\" or \"x+=+-6\" Simplify. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the possible answers are \"x+=+2\" or \"x+=+-6\" \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "However, if you plug in \"x+=+2\", you'll get a denominator of 0. So the only answer is \"x+=+-6\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );