Simplify each complex fraction. See Examples 5 and 6. (5/8 + 2/3) ÷ (7/1 − 1/4)
Table of contents
- 0. Review of College Algebra4h 45m
- 1. Measuring Angles40m
- 2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles2h 5m
- 3. Unit Circle1h 19m
- 4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions1h 19m
- 5. Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Basic Trigonometric Equations1h 41m
- 6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations2h 34m
- 7. Non-Right Triangles1h 38m
- 8. Vectors2h 25m
- 9. Polar Equations2h 5m
- 10. Parametric Equations1h 6m
- 11. Graphing Complex Numbers1h 7m
0. Review of College Algebra
Rationalizing Denominators
Problem 87
Textbook Question
Simplify each complex fraction. See Examples 5 and 6. (1/(x + 1) − 1/x) / (1/x)
Verified step by step guidance1
Rewrite the complex fraction clearly to understand its structure. The expression is: \(\frac{\frac{1}{x+1} - \frac{1}{x}}{\frac{1}{x}}\).
Focus on simplifying the numerator first: \(\frac{1}{x+1} - \frac{1}{x}\). Find a common denominator for these two fractions, which is \(x(x+1)\).
Rewrite each fraction in the numerator with the common denominator: \(\frac{x}{x(x+1)} - \frac{x+1}{x(x+1)}\).
Combine the fractions in the numerator by subtracting the numerators over the common denominator: \(\frac{x - (x+1)}{x(x+1)}\).
Simplify the numerator of the combined fraction and then divide this result by the denominator \(\frac{1}{x}\) by multiplying by its reciprocal.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Complex Fractions
A complex fraction is a fraction where the numerator, denominator, or both contain fractions themselves. Simplifying involves rewriting the expression as a single fraction by finding common denominators or multiplying numerator and denominator by the least common denominator to eliminate smaller fractions.
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Dividing Complex Numbers
Algebraic Manipulation
Algebraic manipulation includes operations like factoring, expanding, and simplifying expressions. In this context, it is essential to carefully handle variables and expressions in both numerator and denominator to combine terms correctly and reduce the fraction to its simplest form.
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Algebraic Operations on Vectors
Fraction Division and Multiplication
Dividing fractions involves multiplying by the reciprocal of the divisor. When simplifying complex fractions, converting division into multiplication by the reciprocal helps to combine and simplify the expression efficiently.
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Solving Linear Equations with Fractions
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