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What is this rational expression Simplified?
6x^3 / 15x^4 - 60x^3
and what values of x make it undefined?
I get the basic idea but I can't seem to get the correct answer
4 Answers
- Engr. RonaldLv 74 months ago
....6x^3
----------------
15x^4 - 60x^3
......6x^3
=----------------
...15x^3(x - 4)
......... 2
=-----------------
....5(x - 4)
where x ≠ 4 undefined..
- az_lenderLv 74 months ago
I guess you mean 6x^3 / (15x^4 - 60x^3). Right?
The expression is undefined if x = 0, and also undefined if x = 4. Otherwise, you have
6/(15x - 60)
as a simpler form of the same expression.
- husoskiLv 74 months ago
As typed, the first term groups as [6(x^3)/15]x^4 = (2x^7) / 5; but a small voice tells me that's probably not what you meant.
If it was (6x^3) / (15x^4 - 60x^3), then start by noticing that the denominator factors as15x^3(x - 4). That tells you the undefined values for the expression (where the denominator is zero) are x=0 and x=4.
That also helps you see the common factor of 3x^3 in the numerator and denominator, so the full expression simplifies to:
2 / (5x - 20)
...which is still undefined at x=4, but not at x=0. That means the reduced expression is equivalent to the original only for nonzero values of x.