How do you simplify (x^2 - x-20)/(x^2 - 3x-10) times (x^2 +7x+10)/( x^2 +4x - 5)?

1 Answer
May 29, 2018

=(x+4)/(x-1)

Explanation:

Factorise each expression as far as possible:

(x^2-x-20)/(x^2-3x-10) xx (x^2+7x+10)/(x^2+4x-5)

=((x-5)(x+4))/((x-5)(x+2))xx((x+5)(x+2))/((x+5)(x-1))

Now cancel any common factors.

=(cancel((x-5))(x+4))/(cancel((x-5))cancel((x+2)))xx(cancel((x+5))cancel((x+2)))/(cancel((x+5))(x-1))

=(x+4)/(x-1)