One Of These Expressions Reduces To 1 And The Other Reduces To -1. Do You Know Which One Is Which? How Do You Know?$\[ \frac{x+3}{3+x} \quad \frac{3-x}{x-3} \\]Determine The Value Each Expression Reduces To:$\[ \frac{x+3}{3+x} = \square
**One of these expressions reduces to 1 and the other reduces to -1. Do you know which one is which? How do you know?**
Understanding the Problem
When dealing with mathematical expressions, it's essential to understand the properties and behaviors of different operations. In this case, we're given two expressions:
Our goal is to determine which expression reduces to 1 and which one reduces to -1.
Q: What are the key concepts involved in this problem?
A: The key concepts involved in this problem are algebraic manipulation, properties of fractions, and understanding the behavior of expressions.
Q: How do we approach this problem?
A: To approach this problem, we need to simplify each expression by applying algebraic properties and manipulating the fractions.
Simplifying the Expressions
Let's start by simplifying the first expression:
We can simplify this expression by multiplying both the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator, which is (3-x).
\frac{x+3}{3+x} = \frac{(x+3)(3-x)}{(3+x)(3-x)}
Expanding the numerator and denominator, we get:
\frac{x+3}{3+x} = \frac{3x - x^2 + 9 - 3x}{9 - x^2}
Simplifying further, we get:
\frac{x+3}{3+x} = \frac{-x^2 + 9}{9 - x^2}
Now, let's simplify the second expression:
We can simplify this expression by multiplying both the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator, which is (x+3).
\frac{3-x}{x-3} = \frac{(3-x)(x+3)}{(x-3)(x+3)}
Expanding the numerator and denominator, we get:
\frac{3-x}{x-3} = \frac{3x + 9 - x^2 - 3x}{x^2 - 9}
Simplifying further, we get:
\frac{3-x}{x-3} = \frac{-x^2 + 9}{x^2 - 9}
Q: How do we determine which expression reduces to 1 and which one reduces to -1?
A: To determine which expression reduces to 1 and which one reduces to -1, we need to analyze the simplified expressions.
Looking at the first expression:
We can see that if x = 3, the expression reduces to:
However, if x = -3, the expression reduces to:
But if we substitute x = 0, the expression reduces to:
Therefore, the first expression reduces to 1 when x = 0.
Now, let's analyze the second expression:
We can see that if x = 3, the expression reduces to:
However, if x = -3, the expression reduces to:
But if we substitute x = 0, the expression reduces to:
Therefore, the second expression reduces to -1 when x = 0.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the first expression reduces to 1 when x = 0, and the second expression reduces to -1 when x = 0.
Q: What are the key takeaways from this problem?
A: The key takeaways from this problem are:
- Algebraic manipulation is essential in simplifying expressions.
- Understanding the properties of fractions is crucial in solving problems.
- Analyzing the behavior of expressions is necessary to determine their values.
Q: How can we apply this knowledge to real-world problems?
A: We can apply this knowledge to real-world problems by:
- Simplifying complex expressions to make them more manageable.
- Understanding the behavior of expressions to make informed decisions.
- Analyzing data to determine trends and patterns.
By applying this knowledge, we can solve a wide range of problems in mathematics, science, and engineering.