Question

Please don't ignore.. but how do I simplify (4m+8/3n-3) / (2m+6/7n-7)?

Answer 1

http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=simplify+%284m%2B8%2F3n-3%29+%2F+%282m%2B6%2F7n-7%29
That is as simple as it gets (see the link above)

Answer 2

It looks like this:

4m + 8 2m + 6
------ / -------
3n - 3 7n-7

Answer 3

First
\[ (4m+8/3n-3) / (2m+6/7n-7) = \frac{4m+8}{3n-3} \frac{7n-7}{2m+6} \]

Answer 4

I did that but I'm stuck..

Answer 5

Now you factor out lots of constants: for instance
4m + 8 = 4(m + 2) and
2m + 6 = 2(m + 3)
3n - 3 = 3(n - 1)
7n = 7 = 7(n - 1)

Once you do that, you see that the n-1 terms cancel and you can simplify.

Answer 6

yup. I got
4(m+2) x 7
---------
3x2(m-3

Answer 7

Keep simplifying, cancel out a 2 from top and bottom (and note your sign error on the bottom: m + 3, not m - 3)

Answer 8

ohhh! & then I got:
2(m+2)x7
--------
3(m+3)

Do I just get:
2m + 4 x 7
---------
3m+3

?

Answer 9

Keep the terms factorized. I'd write it as:
\[ \frac{14 } {3 } . \frac{m+2}{m+3} \]

Answer 10

ohhhh! OMG, thank you so much!!

Answer 11

Notice by the way in what did your last step you didn't handle the x7 very well. It now looks as though it 2 x 7 when it should be the whole expression x7

Answer 12

What do you mean?

Answer 13

but the whole expression "x7"?

Answer 14

You have a 7 in the numerator, but what you wrote:
2m + 4 x 7
---------
3m+3

makes it look as though it's just 7 times the 4; not 7 x (2m + 4) or (2m + 4) x 7 which is what it should be.

So I'm just be careful with the way you manipulate these expressions, as you've just introduced an error.