MODULE 2

RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
LESSON 1: Representing Real–Life Situations Using Rational Functions

Activate prior Knowledge

Recall the definition of a polynomial function.

Definition: A Polynomial function p of degree n is a function that can be written in the form

p(x) = anxn + an-1xn-1 + an-2xn-2 + … + a1x + a0

where a0, a1, …, an ∈ ℝ, an ≠ 0, and n is a positive integer. Each addend of the sum is a term of the polynomial function.
The constant a0, a1, a2, …, an are the coefficients. The leading coefficient is an. the leading term is anxn, and the
constant term is a0.

Acquire New Knowledge:

𝑝(𝑥)
Definition: A rational function is a function of the form f(x) = where 𝑝(𝑥) and 𝑞(𝑥) are polynomial functions and
𝑞(𝑥)
𝑞(𝑥) is not the zero function (i.e., 𝑞(𝑥) ≠ 0). The domain of 𝑓(𝑥) is the set of all values of x where 𝑞(𝑥) ≠ 0.

Example 1. An object is to travel a distance of 10 meters. Express velocity v as a function of travel time t, in seconds.
Solution. The following table of values show v for various values of t.
The graph indicates that the maximum drug concentration occurs around 1 hour after the drug was
administered (calculus can be used to determine the exact value at which the maximum occurs). After 1
hour, the graph suggests that drug concentration decreases until it is almost zero.

Example 3. The distance from Manila to Baguio is around 250 kilometers.

(a) How long will it take you to get to Baguio if your average speed is 25 kilometers per hour? 40 kilometers per
hour? 50 kilometers per hour?
(b) Construct a function , where is the speed of travel, that describes the time it takes to drive from Manila
to Baguio.
Solution.
(a) Distance is calculated as the product of speed and time. So we can get the time by dividing distance by the
speed.

250 kilometers/ 25 kilometers per hour = 10 hours

250 kilometers/ 40 kilometers per hour = 6.25 hours
250 kilometers/ 50 kilometers per hour = 5 hours

(b) Since time is the quotient of distance and speed, we can write out the function as
 Application and Assessment:

1. The budget of a university organization is split evenly among its various committees. If they have a budget of P60,000:

(a) Construct a function which would give the amount of money each of the number of committees would receive.

(b). If the organization has eight committees, how much would each committee have?

2. A company has a budget of P90, 000 to be split evenly among its various offices. The marketing office of the company
receives twice the amount of money than the other offices.

(a) Given as the number of offices in the company, construct a function which would give the amount of money
each of the non-marketing offices would receive.

(b). If the company had five offices, how much would the marketing office receive? How much would each of the
non-marketing offices receive?