Which of the following is equal to the rational expression below when [tex]\( x \neq -1 \)[/tex] or [tex]\( x \neq -8 \)[/tex]?

[tex]\[ \frac{11(x+8)}{(x+1)(x+8)} \][/tex]

A. [tex]\(\frac{1}{x+1}\)[/tex]
B. [tex]\(\frac{11}{x+8}\)[/tex]
C. [tex]\(\frac{1}{x+8}\)[/tex]
D. [tex]\(\frac{11}{x+1}\)[/tex]



Answer :

Certainly! Let's solve the given mathematical problem step by step.

We are given the rational expression:

[tex]\[ \frac{11(x + 8)}{(x + 1)(x + 8)} \][/tex]

and need to simplify it under the condition that [tex]\( x \neq -1 \)[/tex] or [tex]\( x \neq -8 \)[/tex].

Here’s the step-by-step breakdown of how to simplify the expression:

1. Identify common factors:

The numerator of the expression is [tex]\( 11(x + 8) \)[/tex].

The denominator of the expression is [tex]\( (x + 1)(x + 8) \)[/tex].

We need to look for common factors in both the numerator and the denominator.

2. Cancel out common factors:

Notice that both the numerator [tex]\( 11(x + 8) \)[/tex] and the denominator [tex]\( (x + 8)(x + 1) \)[/tex] have the factor [tex]\( (x + 8) \)[/tex] in common.

Therefore, we can cancel out [tex]\( x + 8 \)[/tex] from both the numerator and the denominator:

[tex]\[ \frac{11(x + 8)}{(x + 1)(x + 8)} = \frac{11 \cancel{(x + 8)}}{(x + 1) \cancel{(x + 8)}} = \frac{11}{x + 1} \][/tex]

3. Simplified expression:

After canceling the common factor [tex]\( x + 8 \)[/tex], we are left with:

[tex]\[ \frac{11}{x + 1} \][/tex]

4. Conclusion:

From the simplified expression, we can see that the rational expression [tex]\( \frac{11(x + 8)}{(x + 1)(x + 8)} \)[/tex] simplifies to [tex]\( \frac{11}{x + 1} \)[/tex].

Therefore, the correct answer is:

[tex]\[ \boxed{\text{D. } \frac{11}{x + 1}} \][/tex]

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