Algebra · real student question

Divide 3m minus 4 plus 2m squared by m plus 5.

Question

Divide 3m4+2m2m+5\dfrac{3m-4+2m^2}{m+5}.

Step-by-step solution

  1. Rewrite in descending powers. 3m4+2m2=2m2+3m43m-4+2m^2 = 2m^2+3m-4, giving the coefficient list 2, 3, 42,\ 3,\ -4.

  2. Pick the root from the divisor. m+5=0m+5=0 at m=5m=-5, so the synthetic-division multiplier is 5-5. Using +5+5 here is the most frequent sign error.

  3. Perform the division. Bring down 22; 2×(5)=102\times(-5)=-10 and 3+(10)=73+(-10)=-7; 7×(5)=35-7\times(-5)=35 and 4+35=31-4+35=31. The row is 2, 7, 312,\ -7,\ 31.

  4. Write the result. 2m2+3m4m+5=2m7+31m+5.\frac{2m^2+3m-4}{m+5} = 2m-7+\frac{31}{m+5}. Note how the negative root makes the middle coefficient flip sign relative to the numerator.

  5. Check with the remainder theorem. At m=5m=-5 the numerator is 2(25)+3(5)4=50154=312(25)+3(-5)-4 = 50-15-4 = 31, exactly the remainder.

  6. Verify by expansion. (m+5)(2m7)+31=2m27m+10m35+31=2m2+3m4(m+5)(2m-7)+31 = 2m^2-7m+10m-35+31 = 2m^2+3m-4, which is the original numerator.

Answer

2m7+31m+52m-7+\frac{31}{m+5}

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