Dividing out a variable from a quotient
I don't think I've ever mastered this concept. If I have a problem like
, can I just divide the x out to get
?
I know if I look at the first expression like
then I could turn x/x into 1, but the expression would look like
. The x could get brought back into the quotient if it had a common denominator.
Also, if the sample problem were
would that make a difference in mathematical rules for dividing out the x? (As opposed to addition or subtraction).
I hope my question makes sense, if not I can explain more.
Re: Dividing out a variable from a quotient
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AZach
I don't think I've ever mastered this concept. If I have a problem like

, can I just divide the x out to get

?
No. x is not a factor of the top; you cannot simply cancel out the x.
The correct simplification is
, as you did, or alternatively,
.