Help with simplifying rational expressions

Re: HELP WITH SIMPLIFYING

Teenagelobotomy said:
-7x
____
x-x^2


and

w+wx
_____
7w

How do i simplify this?
Click to expand...

A fraction can be simplifed (reduced) if the numerator and denominator can be divided by a common factor.

Let's look at your first problem:

(-7x) / (x - x^2)

Start by writing both numerator and denominator in factored form (as a multiplication):

(-7)(x)
----------
(x)(1 - x)

Now, see if both numerator and denominator can be divided by a common factor. Do you see that both numerator and denominator can be divided by x? Do that division, and you will have

-7
-------
(1 - x)

The fraction is now in simplest form, since there is no factor common to both numerator and denominator.

Try the same procedure on the second problem, and tell us what you get.
 
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