Questions: Simplify the rational expression. Select "Cannot be simplified" if applicable. (a^2-64)/(a-8)=□ Cannot be simplified

Solution Steps

To simplify the given rational expression, we need to factor the numerator and see if any factors cancel with the denominator.

1. Factor the numerator \(a^2 - 64\) using the difference of squares formula: \(a^2 - b^2 = (a - b)(a + b)\).
2. Simplify the expression by canceling out common factors in the numerator and the denominator.

The given expression is

\[ \frac{a^2 - 64}{a - 8} \]

We recognize that \(a^2 - 64\) is a difference of squares, which can be factored as:

\[ a^2 - 64 = (a - 8)(a + 8) \]

Substituting the factored form of the numerator into the expression, we have:

\[ \frac{(a - 8)(a + 8)}{a - 8} \]

Since \(a - 8\) is a common factor in both the numerator and the denominator, we can cancel it out (assuming \(a \neq 8\)):

\[ a + 8 \]

Final Answer