Question

Henrietta solved a rational equation. Her work is shown. How could she solve it in a simpler way?

A:She could use the least common multiple of the denominator.
B:She could use the distributive property correctly.
C:She could factor the quadratic expression correctly.
D:She could combine like terms correctly.

Answer 1

Henrietta is pretty good at algebra and doesn't appear to have done anything incorrectly. She could have avoided the extra factor of x throughout by choosing to multiply both sides by the least common denominator $3x(x+2)$ instead of just the product of the denominators (which is also a common denominator, just not necessarily the least) $3x^2(x+2)$.

Answer: Top Left choice