Unit3Day1

LearningTarget:Studentswillbeableto
solvearationalequationforaspecified
variable.
Agenda:warmupquestions
- SimplifyingRationalExpressions
- SolvingRationalEquations
- Closure:Hereshow
- Homework#1

Warm-Up:

Simplify.
1)

SolvingEquationsContaining
Rational Expressions

Letspracticesimplifyingsomerational
expressionsfirst.
Example1:Simplify.

3
5
x2
4
2
x2

5 x 13
2( x 4)

Example2:Simplify.
1
1
2

2
x 2x 3 x 4x 3

2x
( x 1)( x 1)( x 3)

Now,letslookatsolvingrational
EQUATIONSalgebraically.
Hereisanexamplethatwewilldotogether
usingtwodifferentmethods.

7
6

x2 x5

Thebestwaytosolvearational
equation:
Eliminate the fractions

Thiscanbedonebymultiplying
eachsideoftheequationbythe
LCD.

WhatistheLCD?

(x+2)(x5)

7
6
(x 2)( x 5)

(x 2)( x 5)
x 2 x5

7(x 5) 6(x 2)

7x 35 6x 12
6x
6x
x 35 12
35 35

x 47

ItisVERYimportantthatyoucheck
youranswersforextraneoussolutions!
Check:

7
6

x2 x5
7
6

47 2 47 5
7
6

49 42
1 1

7 7

Theothermethodofsolvingrational
equationsiscrossmultiplication.
7
6

x2 x5
7 (x 5) 6 (x 2)

7x 35 6x 12
6x
6x
x 35 12
35 35

x 47

Anotherexample:

x 1 5x
1

3x 6 6 x 2
Iamgoingtoeliminatethefractions.

Step1:FindtheLCD
Hint:Factorallthedenominators.

x 1 5x
1

3x 6 6 x 2

Thisdenominatorcanbe
factoredinto3(x2)
Therefore.

LCD 6(x 2)

Step2:Multiplybothsidesofequationby
LCD.

Thiseliminatesthefraction.

Step3:Solveforx

2(x 1) 5x(x 2) 1 6
2x 2 5x 10x 6
2

2x 2

2x 2

0 5x 12x 4
0 (5x 2)( x 2)
2
x x 2
5

Sincetherearetwoanswers,there
needstobetwochecks.
2
Letx=
5

x 1 5x
1

3x 6 6
x2
2
2
1
5( )
1
5
5

2
2
6
3( 6)
2
5
5

7
5 2 1
8
8
6
3( )

5
5
7
5 2 5
24 6
8

5
7
7

24
24

Check#2:
Letx=2
x 1 5x
1

3x 6 6
x2
21
5(2)
1

3(2) 6
6
22

3 10 1

0 6 0

Whenyoucheckthe
number2,yougeta
zerointhe
denominator.This
meansthat2cannot
beasolution.

Now,youdotheseonyourown.
4
x 1
1)

x 1 12

x 7

4t 3 4 2t
2)

1
5
3

t 2

10
2m 5 2m 5
3) 2

m 1 m 1
m 1

5
m
3

Example#3:
Acartravels500milesinthesame
timethatatraintravels300miles.
Thespeedofthecaris30milesper
hourfasterthanthespeedofthe
train.Findthespeedofthecarand
thetrain.

Remembertheformulad=rtwhere:
r=rateofspeed
d=distance
t=time
Sincebothvehiclestravelthesameamount
oftime,solvetheformulafort.

Identifythevariablesthatyouare
goingtouse.
Letr=speedofthetrain
Howdoyourepresentthespeed
ofthecar?
Letr+30=speedofthecar

Carstime

d
t
r
500
t
r 30

Trainstime
d
t
r
300
t
r

500
300

r 30
r

Howwouldyousolvethisequation?
500
300

r 30
r

500 r 300(r 30)

500r 300r 9000
300r 300r
200 r 9000
r 45

Crossmultiply

Makesurethatyouanswerthe
question.
ANSWER:

Thecartravelsataspeedof75mph
Thetraintravelsataspeedof45mph

Closure: Heres How

#1Writeadetailedexplanationofhowto
solvearationalequation.Includean
exampletohelpexplainthesteps.
#2Now,giveapartneryourunworked
exampleandthedetailedinstructionson
howtosolveandhavethempeeredit
theseproceduresforclarity.