PSAT Math Multiple-Choice Question 683: Answer and Explanation

Question: 683

Which of the following is equivalent to for x not equal to -2?

• A. 3x² - 4x + 3
• B. 3x² + 8x + 11
• C. x² - 3x + 3
• D. 3x² + 4x + 12

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) Let's use polynomial long division to divide the numerator by the denominator:

Therefore, (3x³ + 2x² - 5x + 6) ÷ (x + 2) = 3x² - 4x + 3, which is choice (A).

You could also use synthetic division to solve this problem. Alternatively, if you were unsure of how to divide polynomials, you could have multiplied the answer choices by x + 2 to see which choice equaled the numerator.