Algebra Examples

$\frac{\frac{2 a}{9 b} - \frac{b}{2 a}}{\frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 1

Multiply the numerator and denominator of the fraction by $18 a b^{2}$ .

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Step 1.1

Multiply $\frac{\frac{2 a}{9 b} - \frac{b}{2 a}}{\frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + \frac{1}{2 b}}$ by $\frac{18 a b^{2}}{18 a b^{2}}$ .

$\frac{18 a b^{2}}{18 a b^{2}} \cdot \frac{\frac{2 a}{9 b} - \frac{b}{2 a}}{\frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 1.2

Combine.

$\frac{18 a b^{2} (\frac{2 a}{9 b} - \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} (\frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + \frac{1}{2 b})}$

Step 2

Apply the distributive property.

$\frac{18 a b^{2} \frac{2 a}{9 b} + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3

Simplify by cancelling.

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Step 3.1

Cancel the common factor of $9 b$ .

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Step 3.1.1

Factor $9 b$ out of $18 a b^{2}$ .

$\frac{9 b (2 a b) \frac{2 a}{9 b} + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.1.2

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{9 b (2 a b) \frac{2 a}{9 b} + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.1.3

Rewrite the expression.

$\frac{2 a b (2 a) + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.2

Multiply $2$ by $2$ .

$\frac{4 a b a + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.3

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{4 (a^{1} a) b + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.4

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{4 (a^{1} a^{1}) b + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.5

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{4 a^{1 + 1} b + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.6

Add $1$ and $1$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b + 18 a b^{2} (- \frac{b}{2 a})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.7

Cancel the common factor of $2 a$ .

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Step 3.7.1

Move the leading negative in $- \frac{b}{2 a}$ into the numerator.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b + 18 a b^{2} \frac{- b}{2 a}}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.7.2

Factor $2 a$ out of $18 a b^{2}$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b + 2 a (9 b^{2}) \frac{- b}{2 a}}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.7.3

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b + 2 a (9 b^{2}) \frac{- b}{2 a}}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.7.4

Rewrite the expression.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b + 9 b^{2} (- b)}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.8

Multiply $- 1$ by $9$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{2} b}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.9

Raise $b$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 (b^{1} b^{2})}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.10

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{1 + 2}}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.11

Add $1$ and $2$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{18 a b^{2} \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.12

Cancel the common factor of $3 b^{2}$ .

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Step 3.12.1

Factor $3 b^{2}$ out of $18 a b^{2}$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{3 b^{2} (6 a) \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.12.2

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{3 b^{2} (6 a) \frac{a}{3 b^{2}} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.12.3

Rewrite the expression.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 a \cdot a + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.13

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 (a^{1} a) + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.14

Raise $a$ to the power of $1$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 (a^{1} a^{1}) + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.15

Use the power rule $a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 a^{1 + 1} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.16

Add $1$ and $1$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 a^{2} + 18 a b^{2} \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.17

Cancel the common factor of $2 b$ .

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Step 3.17.1

Factor $2 b$ out of $18 a b^{2}$ .

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 a^{2} + 2 b (9 a b) \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.17.2

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 a^{2} + 2 b (9 a b) \frac{1}{2 b}}$

Step 3.17.3

Rewrite the expression.

$\frac{4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4

Simplify the numerator.

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Step 4.1

Factor $b$ out of $4 a^{2} b - 9 b^{3}$ .

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Step 4.1.1

Factor $b$ out of $4 a^{2} b$ .

$\frac{b (4 a^{2}) - 9 b^{3}}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4.1.2

Factor $b$ out of $- 9 b^{3}$ .

$\frac{b (4 a^{2}) + b (- 9 b^{2})}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4.1.3

Factor $b$ out of $b (4 a^{2}) + b (- 9 b^{2})$ .

$\frac{b (4 a^{2} - 9 b^{2})}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4.2

Rewrite $4 a^{2}$ as ${(2 a)}^{2}$ .

$\frac{b ({(2 a)}^{2} - 9 b^{2})}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4.3

Rewrite $9 b^{2}$ as ${(3 b)}^{2}$ .

$\frac{b ({(2 a)}^{2} - {(3 b)}^{2})}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4.4

Since both terms are perfect squares, factor using the difference of squares formula, $a^{2} - b^{2} = (a + b) (a - b)$ where $a = 2 a$ and $b = 3 b$ .

$\frac{b ((2 a + 3 b) (2 a - (3 b)))}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 4.5

Multiply $3$ by $- 1$ .

$\frac{b (2 a + 3 b) (2 a - 3 b)}{6 a^{2} + 9 a b}$

Step 5

Simplify terms.

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Step 5.1

Factor $3 a$ out of $6 a^{2} + 9 a b$ .

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Step 5.1.1

Factor $3 a$ out of $6 a^{2}$ .

$\frac{b (2 a + 3 b) (2 a - 3 b)}{3 a (2 a) + 9 a b}$

Step 5.1.2

Factor $3 a$ out of $9 a b$ .

$\frac{b (2 a + 3 b) (2 a - 3 b)}{3 a (2 a) + 3 a (3 b)}$

Step 5.1.3

Factor $3 a$ out of $3 a (2 a) + 3 a (3 b)$ .

$\frac{b (2 a + 3 b) (2 a - 3 b)}{3 a (2 a + 3 b)}$

Step 5.2

Cancel the common factor of $2 a + 3 b$ .

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Step 5.2.1

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{b (2 a + 3 b) (2 a - 3 b)}{3 a (2 a + 3 b)}$

Step 5.2.2

Rewrite the expression.

$\frac{b (2 a - 3 b)}{3 a}$