How do you expand #ln((6x) / sqrt(x^2 – 4))#?

1 Answer

#ln(6)+ln(x)-(1/2)(ln(x+2)+ln(x-2))#

Explanation:

Let's start with the original:

#ln((6x)/sqrt(x^2-4))#

The first we can do to expand this is to have ln of the numerator - ln of the denominator:

#ln(6x)-ln sqrt(x^2-4)#

I'm going to rewrite the square root into an exponent:

#ln(6x)-ln(x^2-4)^(1/2)#

I can now move the 1/2 to in front of the ln:

#ln(6x)-(1/2)ln(x^2-4)#

I can also factor the #x^2-4# term:

#ln(6x)-(1/2)ln((x+2)(x-2))#

which lends itself to:

#ln(6x)-(1/2)(ln(x+2)+ln(x-2))#

and I almost forgot that I can do the same to the 6x:

#ln(6)+ln(x)-(1/2)(ln(x+2)+ln(x-2))#