Pre-Algebra Examples

$\frac{4 x^{4} - 12 x^{3} - 48 x - 60}{x - 4}$

Step 1

Set up the polynomials to be divided. If there is not a term for every exponent, insert one with a value of $0$ .

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

Step 2

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $4 x^{4}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x$ .

					$4 x^{3}$
	$x$	-	$4$		$4 x^{4}$	-	$12 x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$48 x$	-	$60$

Step 3

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

				$4 x^{3}$
$x$	-	$4$		$4 x^{4}$	-	$12 x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$48 x$	-	$60$
			+	$4 x^{4}$	-	$16 x^{3}$

Step 4

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $4 x^{4} - 16 x^{3}$

				$4 x^{3}$
$x$	-	$4$		$4 x^{4}$	-	$12 x^{3}$	+	$0 x^{2}$	-	$48 x$	-	$60$
			-	$4 x^{4}$	+	$16 x^{3}$

Step 5

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

Step 6

Pull the next terms from the original dividend down into the current dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

Step 7

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $4 x^{3}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x$ .

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

Step 8

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

Step 9

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $4 x^{3} - 16 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

Step 10

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

Step 11

Pull the next terms from the original dividend down into the current dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

Step 12

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $16 x^{2}$ by the highest order term in divisor $x$ .

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

Step 13

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

Step 14

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $16 x^{2} - 64 x$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

Step 15

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

$16 x$

Step 16

Pull the next terms from the original dividend down into the current dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

$16 x$

$60$

Step 17

Divide the highest order term in the dividend $16 x$ by the highest order term in divisor $x$ .

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$16$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

$16 x$

$60$

Step 18

Multiply the new quotient term by the divisor.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$16$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

$16 x$

$60$

$16 x$

$64$

Step 19

The expression needs to be subtracted from the dividend, so change all the signs in $16 x - 64$

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$16$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

$16 x$

$60$

$16 x$

$64$

Step 20

After changing the signs, add the last dividend from the multiplied polynomial to find the new dividend.

$4 x^{3}$

$4 x^{2}$

$16 x$

$16$

$x$

$4$

$4 x^{4}$

$12 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$60$

$4 x^{4}$

$16 x^{3}$

$4 x^{3}$

$0 x^{2}$

$4 x^{3}$

$16 x^{2}$

$48 x$

$16 x^{2}$

$64 x$

$16 x$

$60$

$16 x$

$64$

$4$

Step 21

The final answer is the quotient plus the remainder over the divisor.

$4 x^{3} + 4 x^{2} + 16 x + 16 + \frac{4}{x - 4}$