How do you simplify $(3a + 3b)/(-a-b)$ ?

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Answer 1 · 2017-07-24T07:47:15

$-3$

$(3a + 3b)/(-a-b)$

Solution

$(3a + 3b)/(-a-b)$ $rArr$ $(3(a + b))/(-a-b)$

$(3(a + b))/-(a+b)$

$(3cancel(a + b))/-cancel(a+b)$

$3/-1$

$-3 -> Answer$

Answer 2 · 2017-07-24T07:57:16

$-3$

Look for common terms on the top and bottom, in this case, $(color(red)(3)a+color(red)(3)b)/(color(blue)(-)acolor(blue)(-)b)$

Factorising gives us $(color(red)(3)(a+b))/(color(blue)(-)(a+b))$ .

Cancelling out similar terms gives us $(color(red)(3)cancel((a+b)))/(color(blue)(-)cancel((a+b)))=3/(-1)=-3/1=-3$

How do you simplify (3a + 3b)/(-a-b)(3a + 3b)/(-a-b)?