Which statement justifies the simplification to blah/(x+blah)?

• A. Because (x+blah - x) equals blah and dividing by (x+blah) yields the base.
• B. Because adding x and blah yields something.
• C. Because x cancels out in the numerator.
• D. Because factoring x from the numerator is the correct step.

Answer: (A)

When you simplify a fraction, look at how the terms in the numerator combine. Here the numerator is x + blah minus x. The x terms cancel each other out, leaving blah in the numerator. That makes the fraction simplify directly to blah divided by (x + blah).

You can also see it by splitting the fraction: (x+blah)/(x+blah) minus x/(x+blah) equals 1 minus x/(x+blah), which is the same as blah/(x+blah). The other statements don’t describe this exact cancellation step or the resulting form.