Simplify \(\frac{2}{a+b}-\frac{1}{a-b}\)

Assessment: WAEC SSCE - General Mathematics - 2004 (Objective) Subject: General Mathematics

Question 1 Report

Simplify \(\frac{2}{a+b}-\frac{1}{a-b}\)
Answer Details
To simplify the expression, we need to find a common denominator for the two fractions. We can use the difference of two squares identity \((a+b)(a-b) = a^2-b^2\) to find a common denominator. \begin{aligned} \frac{2}{a+b}-\frac{1}{a-b} &= \frac{2(a-b)}{(a+b)(a-b)} - \frac{1(a+b)}{(a-b)(a+b)}\\ &= \frac{2(a-b)-1(a+b)}{a^2-b^2}\\ &= \frac{2a-2b-a-b}{a^2-b^2}\\ &= \frac{a-3b}{a^2-b^2} \end{aligned} Therefore, the simplified expression is \(\frac{a-3b}{a^2-b^2}\), which corresponds to.

Download The App On Google Playstore

Everything you need to excel in your exams

Green Bridge CBT Mobile App
Personalized AI Learning Chat Assistant
200,000+ Exam Questions Across IGCSE, JAMB, WAEC & NECO
Over 3,900 Lesson Notes
Offline Support - Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Green Bridge Timetable
Literature Summaries & Potential Questions
Track Your Performance & Progress
In-depth Explanations for Comprehensive Learning