Question 64017
<pre><font size = 5><b>

You are right.  But here are the steps which you
must follow in case in the future you have a more 
complicated but similar problem, where the 
denominator does not divide exactly into all the 
numerator terms, as it does in this one:

 6X - 9Y + 3Z
——————————————
       3

There are three terms in the top, so start out
with a row of three lines and signs, the same
signs that are between the terms:


———— - ———— + ————
 

Then write in the three numerators on top of the
lines:

 6X     9Y     3Z
———— - ———— + ————
 

and then write the common denominator under each 
line:

 6X     9Y     3Z
———— - ———— + ————
  3      3      3

Now cancel each of the 3's into the numerators:
 
 2      3      1
 <s>6</s>X     <s>9</s>Y     <s>3</s>Z
———— - ———— + ————
  <s>3</s>      <s>3</s>      <s>3</s>
  1      1      1

 2X     3Y     Z
———— - ———— + ———
  1      1     1

or just

 2X - 3Y + Z

This one was easy and so you could just have
done it in your head, but the more complicated
ones must be done the above way.

Edwin</pre>