How do you simplify (2x^3-32x)/(x^2+8x+16)?

2 Answers
Mar 28, 2018

See below

Explanation:

a^2 - b^2 =(a+b) (a- b)

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Mar 28, 2018

=(2x(x-4))/((x+4))

Explanation:

You cannot cancel despite it being so tempting to do so.
There are + and - signs which prevent it!!

Factorise first.

(2x^3-32x)/(x^2+8x+16)" "(larr"common factor")/(larr"quadratic trinomial")

=(2x(x^2-16))/((x+4)(x+4))" "(larr"difference of squares")/(larr"two factors")

=(2xcancel((x+4))(x-4))/(cancel((x+4))(x+4))" "larr cancel common factors

=(2x(x-4))/((x+4))