document.write( "Question 266289: Good morning guys\r
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document.write( "This is my equation (under the rational expression section in my textbook)\r
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document.write( "Simplify (2x^3-2x^2-12x)(x^4-2x^3-8x^2)^-1 (That is a negative one)\r
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document.write( "What I've done so far\r
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document.write( "Factored both polynomials\r
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document.write( "(2x^2-2x)(x+6)
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document.write( "(x^2+2x)(x^2+4x^2)\r
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document.write( "Since it is a -1 I followed the text book instructions and put\r
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document.write( "(2x^2-2x)(-1)(6+x)
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document.write( "(x^2+2x)(x^2+4x^2)\r
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document.write( "That's where I lose track.\r
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document.write( "Any help is welcome. Thank you very much! \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #195675 by nerdybill(7384)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "When you have something like: \n" ); document.write( "a^(-2) \n" ); document.write( "To make it a positive exponent you can move it to the denominator: \n" ); document.write( "1/a^2 \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Similarly: \n" ); document.write( "1/a^(-2) \n" ); document.write( "To make it a positive exponent, move it the numerator: \n" ); document.write( "a^2 \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Your problem then: \n" ); document.write( " (2x^3-2x^2-12x)(x^4-2x^3-8x^2)^-1 \n" ); document.write( "can be written as a fraction: \n" ); document.write( " (2x^3-2x^2-12x) \n" ); document.write( "----------------- \n" ); document.write( " (x^4-2x^3-8x^2) \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Now, factoring out what's common: \n" ); document.write( " 2x(x^2-x-6) \n" ); document.write( "----------------- \n" ); document.write( " x^2(x^2-2x-8) \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " 2x(x-3)(x+2) \n" ); document.write( "----------------- \n" ); document.write( " x^2(x-4)(x+2) \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Canceling like-terms, we get: \n" ); document.write( " 2(x-3) \n" ); document.write( "-------- \n" ); document.write( " x(x-4) \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |