Simplify #1

Simplify the expression

http://webwork.rutgers.edu/webwork2_...3e2ce4cce1.png

and give your answer in the form of

http://webwork.rutgers.edu/webwork2_...d11c8202f1.png

so far i have

4a - 4a +h / a(a+h) / h

what's next?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by habibixox

4a - 4a +h / a(a+h) / h

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Be careful, plus use proper bracketing; that should be:
[4a - 4(a+h)] / [a(a+h)] / h ; then:
(4a - 4a - 4h) / [ah(a+h)]
Continue...

distribute the 4 in the numerator an ah in the denominator...
you get

4a - 4a - 4h / [a^2h + ah^2) ]

then i cancelled all the a's and cancelled 4 -4
and got -4h / ah + h^2

now on the computer i entered -4 for the numerator and it came out to be correct....
but my denominator is wrong, why? what did i do wrong?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by habibixox

> 4a - 4a - 4h / [a^2h + ah^2) ]

Told you to be careful with bracketing; that should be:
(4a - 4a - 4h) / (a^2h + ah^2)
That's VERY important.

> then i cancelled all the a's and cancelled 4 -4
> and got -4h / ah + h^2

That should be: - 4h / [a^2h + ah^2]
= -4h / [h(a^2 + ah)]
= -4 / (a^2 + ah)
= -4 / [a(a + h)]
Make SURE you follow that....

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