\( \begin{array}{rlr}-\frac{c}{a}+\frac{b^{2}}{4 a^{2}} & =\quad \text { (make both fractions have the same denominator) } \\ & =\quad \text { (combine to form a single fraction) } \\ & \end{array} \)

To combine the fractions \(-\frac{c}{a} + \frac{b^2}{4a^2}\) into a single fraction, we will follow these steps: 1. **Identify the denominators**: The first fraction has a denominator of \(a\) and the second fraction has a denominator of \(4a^2\). 2. **Find a common denominator**: The least common denominator (LCD) for \(a\) and \(4a^2\) is \(4a^2\). 3. **Rewrite each fraction with the common denominator**: - For the first fraction \(-\frac{c}{a}\), we need to multiply the numerator and denominator by \(4a\) to get the common denominator: \[ -\frac{c}{a} = -\frac{c \cdot 4a}{a \cdot 4a} = -\frac{4ac}{4a^2} \] - The second fraction \(\frac{b^2}{4a^2}\) already has the common denominator. 4. **Combine the fractions**: Now we can combine the two fractions: \[ -\frac{4ac}{4a^2} + \frac{b^2}{4a^2} = \frac{-4ac + b^2}{4a^2} \] Now, we have successfully combined the fractions into a single fraction. The final result is: \[ -\frac{c}{a} + \frac{b^2}{4a^2} = \frac{-4ac + b^2}{4a^2} \]