Select Conjugate: Select the conjugate of −7−3.The conjugate of a number of the form a−b is a+b. Therefore, the conjugate of −7−3 is −7+3.
Multiply by Conjugate: Multiply the numerator and the denominator by the conjugate of the denominator.To rationalize the denominator, we multiply the numerator and the denominator by the conjugate of the denominator:(3×(−7+3))/((−7−3)×(−7+3))
Simplify Numerator: Simplify the numerator.Now we distribute the 3 in the numerator across the conjugate:3×(−7)+3×3=−21+33
Simplify Denominator: Simplify the denominator using the difference of squares formula.The denominator is in the form of (a−b)(a+b), which simplifies to a2−b2:(−7)2−(3)2=49−3=46
Write Simplified Expression: Write the simplified expression.Now we have the simplified numerator over the simplified denominator:(−21+33)/46This fraction is already in simplest form.
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