document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=26499>Question 26499</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help me figure out how to simplify the following rational expression. \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "2x^2-7x+3/9-x^2\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "I have come up with these two ways to start the problem and am not sure which one is correct or where to go from here\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "(2x+ _____ )(x-_____)/(x+3)(x-3)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "or \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "2(x+ _____)(x-______)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Any help would be great since I am lost at how to do this one. Thank you for your help<BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #14367 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=queenofit><B>queenofit(120)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-09.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=queenofit><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=14367\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> first let me remind you that if you pull a number out, as you did in the second one, it would have to be divisable into the rest of the equation equally.  If you pull a two out as you did, the rest of the numbers in the equation must be multiples of 2 for that to work, so I do not believe that the second one would work at all.  I would use the first one.  You started out exactly right.  I assume your trouble was with the reverse foil you were using on 2x^2-7x+3, in this case it does work out.  I got<BR>\n" );
document.write( "(2x-1)(x-3) it takes some figuring when you have a number in front of the x^2.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "In your equation, the above was divided by (x+3)(x-3), as you can tell the (x-3) will cancel and you would be left with<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2x-1/x+3\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "hope this helps </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );