document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=383501>Question 383501</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I hope someone can help me. I am lost. I am to reduce the rational expression to the lowest terms. And assume that the variables represent only numbers which the denominators are nonzero. I do not undertand please to step by step.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a^2-b^2/a-b\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Thank you so much! </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #271534 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><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=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=271534\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> problem is:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(a^2 - b^2)/(a-b)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "(a^2 - b^2) can be factored to be (a-b) * (a+b)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "your expression becomes:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "((a-b) * (a+b)) / (a-b)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The (a-b) in the numerator and denominator cancel out and you are left with:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1 * (a+b) / 1 = (a+b)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you had to know that (a^2 - b^2) is equivalent to (a+b) * (a-b).\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "when you take (a+b) and multiply it by (a-b), you get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a^2 + ab - ab - b^2 which becomes a^2 - b^2 because the +ab and -ab cancel out.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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