document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1140879>Question 1140879</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> If I am to solve for x on this particular rational expression, then what would be the solution?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Here is the following expression: https://i.imgur.com/CNjknsR.png </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #761390 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=761390\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> from what i can tell, there is no solution to this problem.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x can't be + 2 and x can't be -2 because that would make the denominator equal to 0.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x^2 - 4 is equal to (x + 2) * (x - 2), so x = + 2 and x = - 2 is not allowed on either side of the equation.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the solution, if any, has to be something other than x =  + 2 or x = - 2.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "i solved in the following manner.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "start with x / (x + 2) - x / (x - 2) = (x^2 + 4) / (x^2 - 4)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "since (x^2 - 4) = (x + 2) * (x - 2), the equation becomes:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x / (x + 2) - x / (x - 2) = (x^2 + 4) / ((X - 2) * (X + 2))\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "multiply both sides of the equation by (x - 2) * (x + 2) to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "x * (x - 2) - x * (x + 2) = x^2 + 4\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "simplify to get x^2 - 2x - x^2 - 2x = x^2 + 4\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "combine like terms to get -4x = x^2 + 4\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "add 4x to both sides of the eqution to get 0 = x^2 + 4x + 4\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "factor to get 0 = (x + 2) * (x + 2)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "solve for x to get x = -2.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "but x = -2 is not allowed because that would make the denominator in the original equation undefined.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "therefore, there is no solution to the problem as far as i can see.\r<BR>\n" );
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