document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=173555>Question 173555</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Adding/Subtracting rational expressions\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "8y - 3/y + 7 - 4y - 1/y + 7 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #128758 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=solver91311><B>solver91311(24713)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=solver91311><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=solver91311><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=128758\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I think you mean:  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%288y+-+3%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29+-+%28%284y+-+1%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%288y+-+3%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29+-+%28%284y+-+1%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.  Please use parentheses in the future so that it is clear what goes into your numerators and what goes into your denominators.  As written your problem could be interpreted as <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=8y+-+3%2Fy+%2B+7+-+4y+-+1%2Fy+%2B+7 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"8y+-+3%2Fy+%2B+7+-+4y+-+1%2Fy+%2B+7\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > which is a very different problem indeed.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Continuing with my original assumption:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%288y+-+3%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29+-+%28%284y+-+1%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%288y+-+3%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29+-+%28%284y+-+1%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Both fractions have the same denominator, so you can combine the numerators directly:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%288y+-+3-%284y-1%29%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%288y+-+3-%284y-1%29%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Eliminate the parentheses by using the distributive property:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%288y+-+3+-+4y+%2B+1%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%288y+-+3+-+4y+%2B+1%29%2F%28y+%2B+7%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Combine like terms:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%284y-2%29%2F%28y%2B7%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%284y-2%29%2F%28y%2B7%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Done.  You cannot simplify further. </SPAN>\n" );
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