Final answer:
To add or subtract rational expressions, find a common denominator, combine the numerators, and simplify the result.
Step-by-step explanation:
When adding or subtracting rational expressions, the basic principle is to find a common denominator just like with whole numbers.
You can use intuition to figure out the common denominator by examining the factors in each denominator and finding the least common multiple.
Once you have a common denominator, you can add or subtract the numerators.
For example, if you have the expression (3/x) + (2/x), you can add the numerators to get (3+2)/x = 5/x.
Finally, simplify the resulting expression by canceling out any common factors or reducing if possible.
For example, if you have the expression (6x+2)/(2x), you can simplify it to (3x+1)/x by dividing by the common factor 2.