To divide \(x^2 + (a+b)x + ab\) by \(x + a\), we can use polynomial long division or synthetic division.
Starting with the polynomial:
\[ x^2 + (a + b)x + ab \]
When we divide it by \(x + a\), we look for a quotient polynomial \(Q(x)\) such that:
\[ x^2 + (a + b)x + ab = (x + a)Q(x) \]
Using polynomial long division, we find:
- The leading term \(Q(x)\) should start as \(x + b\) because when we multiply \(x + a\) by \(x + b\), the leading term gives us \(x^2\).
\[ (x + a)(x + b) = x^2 + (a + b)x + ab \]
When we expand this, we indeed retrieve \(x^2 + (a + b)x + ab\).
Thus, the result of our division shows that:
\[ x^2 + (a+b)x + ab = (x+a)(x+b) \]
Therefore, the correct option is:
Option 3: \(x^2+(a+b)x+ab = (x+a)(x+b)\).