Find the Holes in the Graph (x^2-4)/(x+2)

$\frac{x^{2} - 4}{x + 2}$

Factor $x^{2} - 4$ .

Rewrite $4$ as $2^{2}$ .

$\frac{x^{2} - 2^{2}}{x + 2}$

Since both terms are perfect squares, factor using the difference of squares formula, $a^{2} - b^{2} = (a + b) (a - b)$ where $a = x$ and $b = 2$ .

$\frac{(x + 2) (x - 2)}{x + 2}$

Cancel the common factor of $x + 2$ .

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{(x + 2) (x - 2)}{x + 2}$

Divide $x - 2$ by $1$ .

$x - 2$

To find the holes in the graph, look at the denominator factors that were cancelled.

$x + 2$

To find the coordinates of the holes, set each factor that was cancelled equal to $0$ , solve, and substitute back in to $x - 2$ .

Set $x + 2$ equal to $0$ .

$x + 2 = 0$

Subtract $2$ from both sides of the equation.

$x = - 2$

Substitute $- 2$ for $x$ in $x - 2$ and simplify.

Substitute $- 2$ for $x$ to find the $y$ coordinate of the hole.

$- 2 - 2$

Subtract $2$ from $- 2$ .

$- 4$

The holes in the graph are the points where any of the cancelled factors are equal to $0$ .

$(- 2, - 4)$