6/w-2 + 9w/w2-7w+10

deanamarie77

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Sep 10, 2006
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6/w-2 + 9w/w2-7w+10

well I factored the w2-7w+10 and got (w-5)(w-2)

so i figured the w-2 cancelled eachother out and I was left with 6 +9w/w-5

but the answer in the back of the book is 15/w-5 so I don't know where I went wrong exactly...please help.
 
deanamarie77 said:
6/w-2 + 9w/w2-7w+10
I'm going to guess that the above means the following:

. . . . .6/(w - 2) + (9w)/(w^2 - 7w + 10)

(This could also be formatted as follows....)

. . . . .\(\displaystyle \L \frac{6}{w\,-\,2}\, +\,\frac{9w}{w^2\,-\,7w\,+\,10}\)

And I will assume that the instructions were to "simplify".

deanamarie77 said:
I factored the w2-7w+10 and got (w-5)(w-2)
so i figured the w-2 cancelled eachother out
Since there is no "w - 2" factor in the numerator of the second fraction, there is nothing to cancel out.

Instead, so add the fractions, convert them to the common denominator of (w - 2)(w - 5). Then add the numerators, combine "like" terms, and, if possible, factor. Then see if anything cancels.

Eliz.
 
deanamarie77 said:
6/w-2 + 9w/w2-7w+10

well I factored the w2-7w+10 and got (w-5)(w-2)

so i figured the w-2 cancelled eachother out and I was left with 6 +9w/w-5

but the answer in the back of the book is 15/w-5 so I don't know where I went wrong exactly...please help.
1) You went wrong when you tried to write the problem statement. It is very, very difficult to understand what you mean.

Add parentheses to clarify.

(6/w-2 + 9w)/(w2-7w+10)

Use this guy "^" for exponentiation

6-squared would be 6^2

2) You went wrong when you flatly assumed an answer different from the books answer must be wrong. Where's your confidence?

Try entering the problem again. Fix it up so it can be understood. Give it another go.
 
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