Problem

Solve each equation and check for extraneous solutions.
Enter the largest solution, and round to three decimal places.
\[
\frac{3 x+8}{x+7}=\frac{9 x}{x-4}
\]

Answer

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Answer

Final Answer: \(\boxed{-0.5}\)

Steps

Step 1 :Given the equation \(\frac{3 x+8}{x+7}=\frac{9 x}{x-4}\)

Step 2 :Cross-multiply to get rid of the fractions: \((3x + 8)(x - 4) = 9x(x + 7)\)

Step 3 :Simplify the equation and solve for x: \(3x^2 - 4x + 8x - 32 = 9x^2 + 63x\)

Step 4 :Rearrange the equation: \(6x^2 + 59x + 32 = 0\)

Step 5 :Solve the quadratic equation to find the solutions: \(x = -\frac{32}{3}, -\frac{1}{2}\)

Step 6 :Check for extraneous solutions by substituting the solutions back into the original equation. Both solutions are valid.

Step 7 :The largest solution is \(-\frac{1}{2}\)

Step 8 :Final Answer: \(\boxed{-0.5}\)

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