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Q2. (a) The crippling load P for a solid steel rod varies directly as the fourth power of its diameter d and indirectly as the square of its length, L.

A steel rod, 2.5m long and 4.5cm in diameter, used as a strut, fixed at both ends, has a crippling load of 235.2 kN.

Determine the crippling load of a similar strut, 3m long and 5cm in diameter. (8)

(b) Express the following function of x as a single algebraic fraction in its simplest form:

(14x - 6)/(2x² - 11x + 12) + 4x/(2x - 3) - 1/(x - 4) (8)