how to simplify expressions with exponents.) Then the answer is: Why did I add the “for x not equal to 0” notation after the simplified fraction?
Because the original expression was not defined at x = 0 (since this would have caused division by zero in the second of the two original fractions). For the two expressions, the original one and the simplified one, to be “equal” in technical terms, their domains have to be the same; they have to be defined for the same x-values. Since the simplified fraction, 3x/2 , has no division-by-zero problem at x = 0, it is not, strictly-speaking, “equal” to the original expression. To make the simplified form truly equal to the original form, I have to explicitly state this “x cannot be zero” exclusion. Warning: Your particular textbook or instructor might not make this distinction. If you’re not sure if your teacher cares about this technicality, please make sure to ask before the next test.
