document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=242699>Question 242699</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Simplify this rational expression please!!!!\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=M%5E2-p%5E2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"M%5E2-p%5E2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >/p-m\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "What i did was i factored out the numerator to be (m-p)(m+p) and then i canceled out the denominator with the numerator to equal m+p as my final answer and it was incorrect. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #177665 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jsmallt9><B>jsmallt9(3758)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jsmallt9><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=177665\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> You were very close. Factor the numerator:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28m%2Bp%29%28m-p%29%29%2F%28p-m%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28m%2Bp%29%28m-p%29%29%2F%28p-m%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The error was that (m-p) and (p-m) are not the same. You cannot cancel factors unless they are the same.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "But you may recognize that (m-p) and (p-m) are negatives of each other. (Think about this and it will make sense.) So if we factor out a -1 from one of them then we will have matching factors to cancel:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28%28m%2Bp%29%28m-p%29%29%2F%28-1%29%28m-p%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28%28m%2Bp%29%28m-p%29%29%2F%28-1%29%28m-p%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "which simplifies to<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28m%2Bp%29%2F%28-1%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28m%2Bp%29%2F%28-1%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "or<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-m-p ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-m-p\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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