Question

A box has a volume of x^3-16x cm^3. Another box has a volume of x^3-4x^2 cm^3. What is the ratio of the volume of the first box to that of the second?

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Answer 1

@Data_LG2

Answer 2

(x^3-16x)/( x^3-4x^2)

factor out everything then cancel out the similarities and that's it

Answer 3

x(x^2-16)/x^2(x-4)

Answer 4

Or would it be x(x+4)(x-4)/x^2(x-4) ?

Answer 5

yeah that's right
cancel out x(x-4) and you left with the answer :)

Answer 6

x(x+4)/x^2 ? Is that it?

Answer 7

you forgot to cancel "x"
so it will be: (x+4)/x

Answer 8

I thought I couldn't cancel out the x though because the top is just x but the bottom is x squared?

Answer 9

hmm..

can you simplify this: x/x^2?

it will be 1/x, right?

Answer 10

Yeah I believe so

Answer 11

yes, so....?
it's like simplifying 4/16, it will be 1/4

if the bottom is x^2 "plus something" you cannot cancel out "x"
did you get what i mean?

Answer 12

Yeah I think I get it now. Thanks for helping :-)

Answer 13

:)