document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=187869>Question 187869</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I am completely lost in Algebra.  I passed Algebra 104 by the skin of my teeth.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I read and look over the sections and examples, but I still don't understand how or why they do work the way they do when solved.  Sometimes I can disect a simple problem as to how they came up with the answer, but to do it myself and don't know how to start.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I don't know how to type in the problem with out underlining.  Here's one of the problems:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "4x-2       /     2x^2 +9x-5   underlined and directly below are these numbers<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x^2 - 5x         x^2-25\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Textbook answer:  2<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #140847 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><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/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=140847\">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=%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%2F%28%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%2F%28%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given expression.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%28%28x%5E2-25%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%28%28x%5E2-25%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply the first fraction <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > by the reciprocal of the second fraction <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%282%282x-1%29%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%28%28x%5E2-25%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%282%282x-1%29%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%28%28x%5E2-25%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4x-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4x-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2%282x-1%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2%282x-1%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%282%282x-1%29%29%2F%28x%28x-5%29%29%29%28%28x%5E2-25%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%282%282x-1%29%29%2F%28x%28x-5%29%29%29%28%28x%5E2-25%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-5x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-5x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%28x-5%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%28x-5%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%282%282x-1%29%29%2F%28x%28x-5%29%29%29%28%28%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-25 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-25\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%282%282x-1%29%29%2F%28x%28x-5%29%29%29%28%28%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29%29%2F%28%28x%2B5%29%282x-1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Factor <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B9x-5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B9x-5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x%2B5%29%282x-1%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x%2B5%29%282x-1%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%282%282x-1%29%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29%29%2F%28x%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29%282x-1%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%282%282x-1%29%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29%29%2F%28x%28x-5%29%28x%2B5%29%282x-1%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine the fractions. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%282%2Ahighlight%28%282x-1%29%29highlight%28%28x-5%29%29highlight%28%28x%2B5%29%29%29%2F%28x%2Ahighlight%28%28x-5%29%29highlight%28%28x%2B5%29%29highlight%28%282x-1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Highlight the common terms. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%282%2Across%28%282x-1%29%29cross%28%28x-5%29%29cross%28%28x%2B5%29%29%29%2F%28x%2Across%28%28x-5%29%29cross%28%28x%2B5%29%29cross%28%282x-1%29%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Cancel out the common terms. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2%2Fx ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2%2Fx\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Simplify. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%2F%28%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%2F%28%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > simplifies to <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2%2Fx ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2%2Fx\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In other words, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%2F%28%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29%29=2%2Fx ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%284x-2%29%2F%28x%5E2-5x%29%29%2F%28%282x%5E2%2B9x-5%29%2F%28x%5E2-25%29%29=2%2Fx\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > where <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%3C%3E-5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%3C%3E-5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%3C%3E0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%3C%3E0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%3C%3E1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%3C%3E1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%3C%3E5 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%3C%3E5\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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