Question

Simplify the following fraction: id="TexFormula1" title="\frac{(x+2)^2+3(x+2)^2}{x^2-4}" alt="\frac{(x+2)^2+3(x+2)^2}{x^2-4}" align="absmiddle" class="latex-formula">

Answer 1

The answer is $\frac{4(x+2)}{x-2}$. Reason is becasue you simplify it, making it $\frac{4(x+2)}{x-2}$. How do we get this? Add similar elements of the numerator equation (the numerator on your question), making it $\frac{4(x+2)}{x^2-2}$. Then x^2 - 4 would be the step, "apply difference of two squares formula," giving us (x+2)(x-2). Now we cancel the common factor, which is x + 2, giving us the answer that I gave you in the first sentence, $\frac{4(x+2)}{x-2}$.

Hope this helped!

Nate