Verified Answer :

  • Identify the least common denominator as \(6b\).
  • Adjust the first fraction to match the common denominator: \(\frac{4b-9}{2b} = \frac{12b-27}{6b}\).
  • Combine the numerators while keeping the common denominator: \(\frac{12b-27+5b-1}{6b}\).
  • Simplify the resulting expression to \(\boxed{\frac{17b-28}{6b}}\).

Explanation

  1. Analysis of the Expression

To simplify the expression \(\frac{4b - 9}{2b} + \frac{5b - 1}{6b}\), we first analyze the terms. We are adding two rational expressions with different denominators: \(2b\) and \(6b\). For the expression to be defined, the variable \(b\) must not be equal to zero, as this would result in a division by zero in both denominators. Our goal is to combine these into a single simplified fraction.

  1. Finding a Common Denominator

To add fractions, they must have a common denominator. We look at the denominators \(2b\) and \(6b\). The least common denominator (LCD) is the smallest expression that is divisible by both \(2b\) and \(6b\). Since \(6b = 3 \times 2b\), the LCD is \(6b\). We keep the second fraction as is and adjust the first fraction by multiplying both the numerator and the denominator by \(3\):
\[ \frac{4b - 9}{2b} = \frac{(4b - 9) \times 3}{2b \times 3} = \frac{12b - 27}{6b} \]

  1. Combining and Simplifying the Numerator

Now that both fractions have the common denominator \(6b\), we can add them by summing their numerators and keeping the denominator:
\[ \frac{12b - 27}{6b} + \frac{5b - 1}{6b} = \frac{(12b - 27) + (5b - 1)}{6b} \]
Distributing the addition in the numerator, we get:
\[ \frac{12b + 5b - 27 - 1}{6b} \]
Combining the like terms (\(12b + 5b = 17b\) and \(-27 - 1 = -28\)), the expression becomes:
\[ \frac{17b - 28}{6b} \]

  1. Final Simplification

Finally, we check if the expression \(\frac{17b - 28}{6b}\) can be simplified further by looking for common factors between the numerator and the denominator. The numerator is \(17b - 28\) and the denominator is \(6b\). Since \(17\) is a prime number and does not divide \(28\), there are no common factors to cancel. Thus, the fraction is already in its simplest form. The final result is \(\boxed{\frac{17b - 28}{6b}}\).

Examples

Imagine you are managing an inventory system where the total cost of two different items needs to be combined. If the cost of the first item is represented by \(\frac{4b - 9}{2b}\) and the second by \(\frac{5b - 1}{6b}\), simplifying these expressions allows you to find a single, unified cost formula. This is a common practice in accounting and engineering to streamline calculations when dealing with multiple variables or interdependent costs.