document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=21945>Question 21945</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I am in elementary algebra in college.  The title of the section I am in is \"solving rational equations\". The problem I am having trouble with is<BR>\n" );
document.write( "5-3a over a^2+4a+3 minus 2a+2 over a+3 equals 3-a over a+1. I factored the a^2+4a+3 to (a+3)(a+1). Then multiplied 2a+2 by (a+1) and 3-a by (a+3).  Now I am stuck, could you please show me how to do this problem! :(  Thank You </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #11971 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=rapaljer><B>rapaljer(4671)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=rapaljer><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=rapaljer><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=11971\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%285-3a%29%2F%28%28a%2B3%29%28a%2B1%29%29-+%282a%2B2%29%2F%28a%2B3%29+=+%283-a%29%2F%28a%2B1%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Does that look like your problem after factoring the first denominator???\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Then your next step looked like this, right? \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%285-3a%29%2F%28%28a%2B3%29%28a%2B1%29%29-+%28%282a%2B2%29%2F%28a%2B3%29%29%2A%28%28a%2B1%29%2F%28a%2B1%29%29+=+%28%283-a%29%2F%28a%2B1%29%29%2A%28%28a%2B3%29%2F%28a%2B3%29%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "After this, just multiply both sides of the equation by the LCD, which is (x+3)(x+1).  This eliminates the denominators, giving you an equation with NO fractions:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%285-3a%29+-+%282a%2B2%29%2A%28a%2B1%29+=+%283-a%29%2A%28a%2B3%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%285-3a%29+-+%282a%2B2%29%2A%28a%2B1%29+=+%283-a%29%2A%28a%2B3%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Multiply the two sets of binomials, but save the negative for the next step!<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%285-3a%29+-+%282a%2B2%29%2A%28a%2B1%29+=+%283-a%29%2A%28a%2B3%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%285-3a%29+-+%282a%2B2%29%2A%28a%2B1%29+=+%283-a%29%2A%28a%2B3%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5-3a+-+%282a%5E2%2B4a%2B2%29+=+%283a%2B9+-a%5E2+-+3a%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5-3a+-+%282a%5E2%2B4a%2B2%29+=+%283a%2B9+-a%5E2+-+3a%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now, distribute the -1:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=5-3a+-+2a%5E2+-+4a+-2+=+9+-+a%5E2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"5-3a+-+2a%5E2+-+4a+-2+=+9+-+a%5E2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3+-+7a+-+2a%5E2+=+9+-+a%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3+-+7a+-+2a%5E2+=+9+-+a%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Set the quadratic equation equal to zero, by moving everything to the right side (to get a positive a^2 term!)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3+-+7a+-+2a%5E2+-3+%2B7a+%2B2a%5E2+=+9+-+a%5E2-3+%2B7a+%2B+2a%5E2+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3+-+7a+-+2a%5E2+-3+%2B7a+%2B2a%5E2+=+9+-+a%5E2-3+%2B7a+%2B+2a%5E2+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=0+=+a%5E2+%2B7a+%2B6 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"0+=+a%5E2+%2B7a+%2B6\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This just happens to factor!!  (Isn't life good when it works???)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=0=+%28x%2B6%29%28x%2B1%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"0=+%28x%2B6%29%28x%2B1%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = -6 and x = -1\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Recheck to see if any denominators were accidentally made zero.  They were not, so it looks like these answers are acceptable.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "R^2 at SCC </SPAN>\n" );
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