Factor and simplify: (x^2-7x+12) / (x-4) ?

Question

Factor and simplify:

(x^2-7x+12) / (x-4)

I got x+3 as my answer, but I want to make sure I canceled everything out correctly, thanks

Answer 1

Answer:  (x-3)

How to do it:

You probably made a mistake when you factored the numerator.

(x²-7x +12)

Since the last term, 12, is positive and the middle term is negative, that means that the signs both factors are negative.  Remember that the last term is the product of the two numbers in the factors and the middle term is their sum.  So, we get this:

[(x-3)(x-4)]/(x-4)

Cancel the factor (x-4) in the numerator and denominator and you have:

(x-3)/1, which is the same as (x-3)

FE

Answer 2

Um, I think yours is wrong. To check it:

(x-4) times (x+3)= x^2-x-12.

I'm pretty sure the answer is (x-3).

(x-4) times (x-3)= x^2-7x+12.

Answer 3

(x² -7x+12) / (x-4)

(x - 3 )(x - 4) / (x - 4)

x - 3

.

Answer 4

your wrong. simplify the top using reverse FOIL, and you should get (x-3)(x-4), and then just cancel out the (x-4).

That leaves you with (x-3)