document.write( "Question 16512: Factor x squared minus 9 over 3x minus 9. \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #8049 by smik(40) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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Good question. When anything asks you to factor, it's asking you to reduce the expression given to it's simplest product form. Here we have:
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\n" ); document.write( "[(x^2)-9]/[3x-9]
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\n" ); document.write( "[(x^2)-9] is special, because the square root of 9 is an integer, and there's a subtraction sign infront of it. This therefore gives us: (x-3)(x+3).
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\n" ); document.write( "[3x-9] on the other hand is easier. Basically all we can factor out of that is a 3, as both 3x and (-9) are divisible by 3. This therefore gives us: 3(x-3).
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\n" ); document.write( "Hence, we get the \"Factor of x squared minus 9 over 3x minus 9\" to be:
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\n" ); document.write( "[(x-3)(x+3)]/[3(x-3)]
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\n" ); document.write( "we can go a step further and simplify the expression, by eliminating (x-3), which would leave us with:
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\n" ); document.write( "(x+3)/3 \n" ); document.write( "

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