To simplify the expression (x^2 - 9) / (3x^2 + x^2), we can first combine like terms in both the numerator and denominator:
In the numerator: x^2 - 9
In the denominator: 3x^2 + x^2 = 4x^2
So the expression becomes:
(x^2 - 9) / (4x^2)
Now, let's factor the numerator:
x^2 - 9 = (x - 3)(x + 3)
The expression can be rewritten as:
[(x - 3)(x + 3)] / (4x^2)
This is the simplified form of the expression (x^2 - 9) / (3x^2 + x^2).
