Question 548145: Compare and contrast doing operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) with rational expressions to doing operations with fractions. Can understanding how to work with one kind of problem help understand how to work another type?
How do we find the greatest common factor of a polynomial? Demonstrate the process with an example showing your work. When finding the greatest common factor of a polynomial, can it ever be larger than the smallest coefficient?
Describe the mathematic process of canceling like factors when working with rational expressions & demonstrate this with an example.
Answer by richard1234(7193)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! I can answer these questions, but the purpose of these questions is for you to conceptualize what you are learning. I can give you hints, but I'll leave it to you to answer them.
First of all, a rational expression is essentially a fraction, except that the numerator and denominator are polynomial expressions instead of integers.
Finding the GCF of several polynomials is similar to finding the GCF of several numbers. Remember GCF = "greatest common factor," or the greatest factor that is common to every number/polynomial.
Canceling like terms in a rational expression is similar to canceling "like" terms in a fraction (e.g. 10/15 = 2/3). Think of an example!
|
|
|
