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Finding the Quotient 12d216d4\frac{12d^2 - 16d}{-4}

Divide a binomial by a negative constant: 12d216d4\frac{12d^2 - 16d}{-4}.

Step 1 — Divide each term of the numerator by the denominator. Split the fraction: 12d2416d4\frac{12d^2}{-4} - \frac{16d}{-4}.

Step 2 — Simplify each fraction, applying sign rules carefully. For the first term: 12d24=3d2\frac{12d^2}{-4} = -3d^2 (a positive divided by a negative gives a negative result). For the second term: 16d4=4d\frac{16d}{-4} = -4d. The expression becomes 3d2(4d)-3d^2 - (-4d). Because subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive, this simplifies to 3d2+4d-3d^2 + 4d.

The quotient is 3d2+4d-3d^2 + 4d. When dividing by a negative monomial, each term's sign is affected — positive terms become negative and negative terms become positive. Being mindful of this sign change at every step helps avoid errors.

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Updated 2026-04-21

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