document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=214660>Question 214660</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> 2/x-4/(x+1)=3 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #162120 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=drj><B>drj(1380)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-12.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=drj><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=drj><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=162120\">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=2%2Fx-4%2F%28x%2B1%29=3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2%2Fx-4%2F%28x%2B1%29=3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Step 1.  Multiply by x(x+1) to both sides to get rid of denominators.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%28x%2B1%29%2A%282%2Fx-4%2F%28x%2B1%29%29=x%28x%2B1%293 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%28x%2B1%29%2A%282%2Fx-4%2F%28x%2B1%29%29=x%28x%2B1%293\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Step 2.  Simplify above equation\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2%28x%2B1%29-4x=3x%5E2%2B3x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2%28x%2B1%29-4x=3x%5E2%2B3x\"   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=3x%5E2%2B3x=2x%2B2-4x=-2x%2B2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B3x=2x%2B2-4x=-2x%2B2\"   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=3x%5E2%2B3x%2B2x-2=-2x%2B2%2B2x-2=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B3x%2B2x-2=-2x%2B2%2B2x-2=0\"   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=3x%5E2%2B5x-2=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B5x-2=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Step 3.  We can then use the quadratic formula to solve the above equation given as <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+ ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "where a=3, b=5, and c=-2\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " <TR><TD  ALIGN=MIDDLE>Solved by <A  rel=nofollow HREF=http://wiki.algebra.com/index.php/Tutoring_-_pluggable_solvers>pluggable</A> solver: <A  rel=nofollow HREF=quadratic.solver>SOLVE quadratic equation with variable</A></TD></TR>\n" );
document.write( "<TR><TD  ALIGN=LEFT>Quadratic equation <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (in our case <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2%2B5x%2B-2+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B5x%2B-2+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >) has the following solutons:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "  For these solutions to exist, the <U>discriminant</U> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > should not be a negative number.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "  First, we need to compute the discriminant <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac=%285%29%5E2-4%2A3%2A-2=49 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac=%285%29%5E2-4%2A3%2A-2=49\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "  Discriminant d=49 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5B12%5D+=+%28-5%2B-sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5B12%5D+=+%28-5%2B-sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%285%29%2Bsqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+0.333333333333333 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%285%29%2Bsqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+0.333333333333333\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%285%29-sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%285%29-sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "    Quadratic expression <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2%2B5x%2B-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B5x%2B-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > can be factored:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2%2B5x%2B-2+=+3%28x-0.333333333333333%29%2A%28x--2%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B5x%2B-2+=+3%28x-0.333333333333333%29%2A%28x--2%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Again, the answer is: 0.333333333333333, -2.\n" );
document.write( "Here's your graph:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+3%2Ax%5E2%2B5%2Ax%2B-2+%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+3%2Ax%5E2%2B5%2Ax%2B-2+%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ></TD></TR>\n" );
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document.write( "Step 4. ANSWER:  The solutions are <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1%2F3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1%2F3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I hope the above steps were helpful. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "For free Step-By-Step Videos on Introduction to Algebra, please visit http://www.FreedomUniversity.TV/courses/IntroAlgebra or for Trigonometry visit http://www.FreedomUniversity.TV/courses/Trigonometry.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And good luck in your studies!\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Respectfully,<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Dr J\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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