How do you divide (16z x ^ { 3} - 20z ^ { 4} x ^ { 7} ) \div ( 4z ^ { 2} x ^ { 5} )?

1 Answer
Aug 30, 2017

(4)/(zx^2) - 5z^2x^2

Explanation:

(16zx^3 - 20z^4x^7)/(4z^2x^5)

Since the numerator has a term being subtracted from another, we cannot cancel yet. First, we can factor the numerator. The GCF is 4zx^3.

(4zx^3(4 - 5z^3x^4))/(4z^2x^5)

We can now cancel 4, z, and x^3.

(cancel4cancelzcancel(x^3)(4 - 5z^3x^4))/(cancel4 cancel(z^2)^z cancel(x^5)^(x^2))

We are left with

(4 - 5z^3x^4)/(zx^2)

We can now split this into

(4)/(zx^2) - (5z^3x^4)/(zx^2)

Canceling, we get

(4)/(zx^2) - (5cancel(z^3)^(z^2) cancel(x^4)^(x^2))/(cancelz cancel(x^2))

= (4)/(zx^2) - 5z^2x^2