document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=127381>Question 127381</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Simplify by removing factors of 1.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "4ab/a^2-b^2 - a-b/a+b\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "I have a feeling this should be really easy, but I've been doing algebra homework most of the weekend and I think I'm just getting confused at this point.  I would appreciate anyone that could help me! </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #93415 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><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=93415\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Given:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4ab%2F%28a%5E2-b%5E2%29+-+%28a-b%29%2F%28a%2Bb%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4ab%2F%28a%5E2-b%5E2%29+-+%28a-b%29%2F%28a%2Bb%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Factor the denominator of the first term using the rule <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2+-+y%5E2+=+%28x+-+y%29%2A%28x+%2B+y%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2+-+y%5E2+=+%28x+-+y%29%2A%28x+%2B+y%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "After you apply this rule the equation becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4ab%2F%28%28a-b%29%2A%28a%2Bb%29%29+-+%28a-b%29%2F%28a%2Bb%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4ab%2F%28%28a-b%29%2A%28a%2Bb%29%29+-+%28a-b%29%2F%28a%2Bb%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Put the second term over the common denominator by multiplying the second term by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28a-b%29%2F%28a-b%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28a-b%29%2F%28a-b%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4ab%2F%28%28a-b%29%2A%28a%2Bb%29%29+-+%28%28a-b%29%28a-b%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Since the two terms now have a common denominator, you can combine the two terms by algebraically<BR>\n" );
document.write( "adding their numerators and placing the result over the common denominator. This results in:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%284ab+-+%28a-b%29%2A%28a-b%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%284ab+-+%28a-b%29%2A%28a-b%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Multiply out the product in the numerator to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%284ab+-+%28a%5E2-2ab%2Bb%5E2%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%284ab+-+%28a%5E2-2ab%2Bb%5E2%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Get rid of the parentheses in the numerator by changing the signs of all the terms inside<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the parenthesis to get:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%284ab+-+a%5E2%2B2ab-+b%5E2%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%284ab+-+a%5E2%2B2ab-+b%5E2%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Combine the two terms in the numerator that contain \"ab\" and the problem becomes:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28+-+a%5E2%2B6ab-+b%5E2%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28+-+a%5E2%2B6ab-+b%5E2%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You can mess around with this a little and get it into various forms such as:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28+-%28a%5E2-6ab%2Bb%5E2%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28+-%28a%5E2-6ab%2Bb%5E2%29%29%2F%28%28a%2Bb%29%2A%28a-b%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "or<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2b%2F%28a-b%29+%2B+4b%2F%28a%2Bb%29+-+1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2b%2F%28a-b%29+%2B+4b%2F%28a%2Bb%29+-+1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "but these are just various forms of the above answer.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem a little better.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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