Simplify the rational expression. (Assume the denominator is nonzero.)
-$$\frac { x ^ { 2 } - 25 } { ( x + 5 ) ^ { 2 } }$$
A) $x - 5$

B) $\frac { x ^ { 2 } - 25 } { ( x + 5 ) ^ { 2 } }$

C) $\frac { x + 5 } { x - 5 }$

D) $\frac { x - 5 } { x + 5 }$

Question

Simplify the rational expression. (Assume the denominator is nonzero.)
-$$\frac { x ^ { 2 } - 25 } { ( x + 5 ) ^ { 2 } }$$
A) $x - 5$

B) $\frac { x ^ { 2 } - 25 } { ( x + 5 ) ^ { 2 } }$

C) $\frac { x + 5 } { x - 5 }$

D) $\frac { x - 5 } { x + 5 }$

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The numerator factors into $(x+5)(x-5)$. So, we can simplify the expression to $$\frac{x^2-25}{(x+5)^2}=\frac{(x+5)(x-5)}{(x+5)^2}=\frac{x-5}{x+5}$$ Therefore, the best choice is D.

Simplify the Rational Expression x2−25(x+5)2\frac { x ^ { 2 } - 25 } { ( x + 5 ) ^ { 2 } }(x+5)2x2−25​

Simplify the Rational Expression $\frac { x ^ { 2 } - 25 } { ( x + 5 ) ^ { 2 } }$