Precalculus Examples Algebra Concepts and Expressions

Divide

$\frac{6 x^{3} + 4 x^{2} - x}{x^{2} - 4}$

Step 1

Set up the polynomials to be divided. If there is not a term for every exponent, insert one with a value of $0$ .

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

Step 2

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $6 x^{3}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$6 x$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

Step 3

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$6 x$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

Step 4

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $6 x^{3} + 0 - 24 x$

$6 x$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

Step 5

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$6 x$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

$4 x^{2}$

$23 x$

Step 6

Pull the next terms from the original dividend down into the current dividend.

$6 x$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

$4 x^{2}$

$23 x$

$0$

Step 7

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $4 x^{2}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x^{2}$ .

$6 x$

$4$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

$4 x^{2}$

$23 x$

$0$

Step 8

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$6 x$

$4$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

$4 x^{2}$

$23 x$

$0$

$4 x^{2}$

$0$

$16$

Step 9

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $4 x^{2} + 0 - 16$

$6 x$

$4$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

$4 x^{2}$

$23 x$

$0$

$4 x^{2}$

$0$

$16$

Step 10

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$6 x$

$4$

$x^{2}$

$0 x$

$4$

$6 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$0$

$6 x^{3}$

$0$

$24 x$

$4 x^{2}$

$23 x$

$0$

$4 x^{2}$

$0$

$16$

$23 x$

$16$

Step 11

The final answer is the quotient plus the remainder over the divisor.

$6 x + 4 + \frac{23 x + 16}{x^{2} - 4}$

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