standard_description: Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide. (Students need not use formal terms for these properties.) ^( )Examples: If 6 × 4 = 24 is known, then 4 × 6 = 24 is also known. (Commutative property of multiplication.) 3 × 5 × 2 can be found by 3 × 5 = 15, then 15 × 2 = 30, or by 5 × 2 = 10, then 3 × 10 = 30. (Associative property of multiplication.) Knowing that 8 × 5 = 40 and 8 × 2 = 16, one can find 8 × 7 as 8 × (5 + 2) = (8 × 5) + (8 × 2) = 40 + 16 = 56. (Distributive property.)
problem_activity: Task
Megan is working solving the equation $$\frac{2}{x^2-1} - \frac{1}{x-1} = \frac{1}{x+1}.$$ She says
If I clear the denominators I find that the only solution is $x = 1$ but when I substitute in $x = 1$ the equation does not make any sense.
Is Megan's work correct?
Why does Megan's method produce an $x$ value that does not solve the equation?


aligns: no