Question
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Divide. \[ \frac{3 x-6}{x^{2}+x-2} \div \frac{x-2}{x^{2}+5 x+6} \] Simplify your answer as much as possible. \( \square \)

Ask by Barber Medina. in the United States
Feb 27,2025

Upstudy AI Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The simplified result is \( \frac{3(x + 3)}{x - 1} \).

Solution

We start with   (3x – 6)/(x² + x – 2) ÷ [(x – 2)/(x² + 5x + 6)]. Step 1. Rewrite the division as multiplication by the reciprocal:   (3x – 6)/(x² + x – 2) × (x² + 5x + 6)/(x – 2). Step 2. Factor all polynomials where possible.   • 3x – 6 = 3(x – 2).   • x² + x – 2 factors as (x + 2)(x – 1) since (x + 2)(x – 1) = x² + x – 2.   • x² + 5x + 6 factors as (x + 2)(x + 3) since (x + 2)(x + 3) = x² + 5x + 6. Now the expression becomes:   [3(x – 2)]/[(x + 2)(x – 1)] × [(x + 2)(x + 3)/(x – 2)]. Step 3. Cancel common factors.   • The factor (x – 2) cancels.   • The factor (x + 2) cancels. This leaves us with:   3(x + 3)/(x – 1). Thus, the simplified result is   3(x + 3)/(x – 1). Note: To be completely correct, remember the original restrictions: we cannot have x-values that make any denominator zero. From the factorizations,   x + 2 = 0 ⟹ x ≠ –2,   x – 1 = 0 ⟹ x ≠ 1,   x – 2 = 0 ⟹ x ≠ 2,   x + 3 = 0 ⟹ x ≠ –3. So, x ≠ –3, –2, 1, or 2. The final answer is: 3(x + 3)/(x – 1).

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The Deep Dive

To simplify the given expression, first, we rewrite the division as multiplication by the reciprocal: \[ \frac{3x - 6}{x^2 + x - 2} \div \frac{x - 2}{x^2 + 5x + 6} = \frac{3x - 6}{x^2 + x - 2} \times \frac{x^2 + 5x + 6}{x - 2}. \] Next, we factor where possible. 1. **Numerator \(3x - 6\)** can be factored as: \[ 3(x - 2). \] 2. **Denominator \(x^2 + x - 2\)** can be factored as: \[ (x - 1)(x + 2). \] 3. **Numerator \(x^2 + 5x + 6\)** can be factored as: \[ (x + 2)(x + 3). \] Now substituting these factored forms into our expression gives: \[ \frac{3(x - 2)}{(x - 1)(x + 2)} \times \frac{(x + 2)(x + 3)}{(x - 2)}. \] We can cancel \(x - 2\) in the numerator and denominator (assuming \(x \neq 2\)) and \(x + 2\): \[ = \frac{3}{x - 1} \times (x + 3). \] This simplifies to: \[ = \frac{3(x + 3)}{x - 1}. \] Finally, we can express the simplified result as: \[ \frac{3x + 9}{x - 1}. \] Thus, the final simplified result is: \[ \frac{3x + 9}{x - 1}. \]

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