How Many Values Of $x$ Must Be Excluded In The Expression $\frac{x-2}{(x+9)(x-5)}$?A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3
Understanding the Problem
When dealing with rational expressions, it's essential to consider the values of the variable that would make the denominator equal to zero. These values are called excluded values or restricted values, and they must be excluded from the domain of the expression.
The Expression and Its Denominator
The given expression is $\frac{x-2}{(x+9)(x-5)}$. To find the excluded values, we need to focus on the denominator, which is $(x+9)(x-5)$. We want to find the values of that would make this expression equal to zero.
Finding the Excluded Values
To find the excluded values, we need to set the denominator equal to zero and solve for . We can do this by setting each factor equal to zero and solving for .
Solving for x in the First Factor
The first factor is . To find the value of that would make this factor equal to zero, we can set it equal to zero and solve for :
Subtracting 9 from both sides gives us:
So, the value of that would make the first factor equal to zero is .
Solving for x in the Second Factor
The second factor is . To find the value of that would make this factor equal to zero, we can set it equal to zero and solve for :
Adding 5 to both sides gives us:
So, the value of that would make the second factor equal to zero is .
Conclusion
We have found two values of that would make the denominator equal to zero: and . These values must be excluded from the domain of the expression.
The Final Answer
Based on our analysis, we can conclude that there are 2 values of that must be excluded in the expression.
Comparison with the Options
Let's compare our answer with the options provided:
- A. 0: This is incorrect, as we have found two excluded values.
- B. 1: This is incorrect, as we have found two excluded values.
- C. 2: This is correct, as we have found two excluded values.
- D. 3: This is incorrect, as we have found only two excluded values.
The final answer is C.