How do you simplify #(6x^2)/(4x^2) - 54/36#?

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Answer 1 · 2018-04-06T08:36:56

Just in case simplification gives you a problem I have shown every step. Also a trick to test for divisibility by 3

Answer is 0. Becomes undefined at #x=0#

Write as:

#[6/4xx x^2/x^2]-54/36#

But #x^2/x^2=1# unless #x=0#. Dividing by 0 is not allowed mathematically. This is called 'undefined'.

1 times anything does not change the value. So we can disregard the #xx1#

Now we have:

#6/4-54/36#

Notice that all the numbers are even. If simplifying gives you a problem you can use this type of approach:

#[(6-:2)/(4-:2)] - [(54-:2)/(36-:2)] #

#3/2 - [27/18]#

Notice that for 27 we have #2+7=9# which is divisible by 3 so 27 is also divisible by 3

Notice that for 18 we have the same thing: #1+8=9#

So we can divide both top and bottom by 3

#3/2 - [(27-:3)/(18-:3)]#

#3/2 - [9/6]#

#3/2 - [(9-:3)/(6-:3)]#

#3/2-3/2=0#