Determine the Validity: Is x^2 - 81 Over (x-9)(x+9) Equal to 1?

Question

Does the following equation have a true or false value?

x281(x9)(x+9)=1 \frac{x^2-81}{(x-9)(x+9)}=1

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:00 Is the equation correct?
00:05 Let's break down 81 into 9 squared
00:14 Let's use the shortened multiplication formulas
00:23 Let's reduce what we can
00:28 And this is the solution to the question

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Recognize and factor the expression in the numerator.
  • Step 2: Simplify the fraction by canceling common factors.
  • Step 3: Determine restrictions on the variable x x .
  • Step 4: Analyze if and when the equation holds true.

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: The numerator x281 x^2 - 81 can be factored as a difference of squares: (x9)(x+9) (x-9)(x+9) .

Step 2: Substitute this factorization into the equation:
(x9)(x+9)(x9)(x+9)=1\frac{(x-9)(x+9)}{(x-9)(x+9)} = 1.

Step 3: Simplify the fraction by canceling the common terms, giving 1=1 1 = 1 , which is always true, except where the expression is undefined.

Step 4: The expression is undefined when the denominator is zero, i.e., when x9=0 x - 9 = 0 or x+9=0 x + 9 = 0 . Thus, x9 x \neq 9 and x9 x \neq -9 .

In conclusion, the given equation x281(x9)(x+9)=1 \frac{x^2-81}{(x-9)(x+9)}=1 is True only when x±9 x \ne \pm9 .

Answer

True only when x±9 x\ne\pm9 .