a to the power of 2 minus 16 over a plus 4, what is the result?

To simplify the expression "a^2 - 16 / (a + 4)," you can factor the numerator and denominator and then cancel out any common factors. 1. First, factor the numerator: a^2 - 16 can be factored as (a + 4)(a - 4). 2. Now, rewrite the expression: (a + 4)(a - 4) / (a + 4) 3. Next, cancel out the common factor of (a + 4) in the numerator and denominator: (a - 4) / 1 So, the simplified result is just "a - 4."