How do you simplify and find the restrictions for 3/(x-4)-7?

1 Answer
Aug 16, 2017

Restriction: color(red)(x!=4)
Simplification (maybe): color(blue)((31-7x)/(x-4))

Explanation:

Since division by 0 is undefined.
x-4!=0color(white)("xxx")rarrcolor(white)("xxx")x!=4

What is considered a "simplification" is more problematic.
Here is one possibility:
color(white)("XXX")3/(x-4)-7

color(white)("XXXXXX")=3/(x-4)-(7(x-4))/(x-4)

color(white)("XXXXXX")=3/(x-4)-(7x-28)/4

color(white)("XXXXXX")=(3-7x+28)/(x-4)

color(white)("XXXXXX")=(31-7x)/(x-4)