Question

How do you simplify `\frac { a ^ { 2} - 8a } { ( a + 4) ( a - 8) }`?

Answer 1

`a/(a+4)`

Explanation:

`(a^2-8a)/((a+4)(a-8))`

Factorize the top part into `a(a-8)`

`(a(a-8))/((a+4)(a-8))`

Now, the `(a-8)` parts cancel out.

`=(acancel((a-8)))/((a+4)cancel((a-8)))`

`=a/(a+4)`