## anonymous 5 years ago I need to discover steps to solve this expression: (3x+12)/(x+4)

1. anonymous

What do you mean solve? There is nothing to solve here. e.g. no = sign.

2. anonymous

He probably means to "SIMPLIFY".

3. myininaya

simplified or divide is better: 3(x+4)/(x+4)

4. myininaya

simplify* it is not only better to say it is accurate to say in this case

5. anonymous

You don't need to discover anything, someone already did. Just take 3 as a common factor of the numerator, and then (x+4) will be cancelled from the top and bottom as: ${3x+12 \over x+4}={3(x+4) \over x+4}$

6. anonymous

=3

7. myininaya

this expression =3 as long as x does not equal -4

8. anonymous

Not really. It's always 3, for any value of x (including -4).

9. myininaya

no what happens if you plug in -4 into the original expression

10. anonymous

It wouldn't affect the value. Try graphing the function. It's nothing but a horizontal line at y=3.

11. myininaya

its good to point stuff out like this early because when start talking about continuity in calculus they are going to find out f(-4) DNE but the limit has x approaches -4 exist which is 3 in this case i never had a calculator to graph holes

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