Addition and Subtraction of

Rational Expressions
Created by: John Albert Buenaventura
Addition and subtraction rational expressions
with the same denominator
If two rational expressions have the same
denominators,
𝑎 𝑐 𝑎+𝑐
The sum is expresses as: + =
𝑏 𝑏 𝑏
𝑎 𝑐 𝑎−𝑐
The difference is expresses as: − =
𝑏 𝑏 𝑏
 5 3
Add: +
2𝑚 2𝑚
5 3 5+3 8
Solution: + = =
2𝑚 2𝑚 2𝑚 2𝑚
8
, simplify or reduce to lowest
terms.
2𝑚
8 (2)(2)(2) (2)(2)(2) 4
= = =
2𝑚 (2)(𝑚) (2)(𝑚) 𝑚

5 3 8 4
+ = =
2𝑚 2𝑚 2𝑚 𝑚
 𝑎 𝑎+5
Add: +
𝑎+2 𝑎+2

𝑎 𝑎+5 𝑎+𝑎+5 2𝑎+5

Solution: + = =
𝑎+2 𝑎+2 𝑎+2 𝑎+2

𝑎 𝑎+5 2𝑎+5
+ =
𝑎+2 𝑎+2 𝑎+2
 2𝑥 8
Add and simplify: 2 +
𝑥 +3𝑥−4 𝑥 2 +3𝑥−4

Solution:
2𝑥 8 2𝑥 + 8 2(x + 4)
2
+ 2 = 2 = =
𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4 (𝑥 + 4)(𝑥 − 1)

2(x + 4) 2
=
(𝑥 + 4)(𝑥 − 1) 𝑥 − 1

2𝑥 8 2
2
+ 2 =
𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4 𝑥 − 1
 8 2
Subtract and simplify: −
𝑥−7 𝑥−7

8 2 8−2 6
Solution: − = =
𝑥−7 𝑥−7 𝑥−7 𝑥−7

8 2 6
− =
𝑥−7 𝑥−7 𝑥−7
 𝑥2 25
Subtract and simplify: −
𝑥+5 𝑥+5

𝑥2 25 𝑥 2 −25 𝑥+5 𝑥−5 𝑥+5 𝑥−5

• − = = = =
𝑥+5 𝑥+5 𝑥+5 𝑥+5 𝑥+5
1 𝑥−5 𝑥−5
= =𝑥−5
1 1

𝑥2 25
• − = 𝑥−5
𝑥+5 𝑥+5
 𝑥 2 −12 3𝑥 2 +2 3𝑥 2 −3𝑥
Solve: + −
𝑥−5 𝑥−5 𝑥−5
𝑥 2 − 12 3𝑥 2 + 2 3𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 𝑥 2 − 12 + 3𝑥 2 + 2 − 3𝑥 2 − 3𝑥
+ − =
𝑥−5 𝑥−5 𝑥−5 𝑥−5

𝑥 2 − 12 + 3𝑥 2 + 2 − 3𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 10 (𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 − 2)
= =
𝑥−5 𝑥−5 𝑥−5
(𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 − 2) 1(𝑥 − 2) 𝑥 − 2
= = =𝑥−2
𝑥−5 1 1

𝑥 2 −12 3𝑥 2 +2 3𝑥 2 −3𝑥
+ − =𝑥 −2
𝑥−5 𝑥−5 𝑥−5
Addition and subtraction rational expressions
with the different denominator
• If two rational expressions have different
denominators,
a c ad+cb
The sum is expresses as: + =
b d bd
a c ad−cb
The difference is expresses as: − =
b b bd
 2 3
Add: +
3a 2b

2 3
• + , Find the LCD,(Least Common Denominator)
3a 2b
2 3 2(2b) 3(3a) 4b 9a 4b+9a 4b+9a
• + = + = + = =
3a 2b (3a)(2b) (3a)(2b) (3a)(2b) (3a)(2b) (3a)(2b) 6ab

2 3 4b+9a 9a+4b
+ = =
3a 2b 6ab 6ab
 a 2
Subtract and simplify −
a+1 a2 −1

a 2
• − 2 LCD of a + 1 and a2 − 1
a+1 a −1
a 2 a a−1 2 1
• − = − =
a+1 a+1 a−1 a+1 a−1 a+1 a−1
a2 −a 2 a2 −a−2 a−2 a−1
− = =
a+1 a−1 a+1 a−1 a+1 a−1 a+1 a−1
(a−2)(a−1) a−2
•= =
a+1 a−1 a−1
a 2 a−2
− 2 =
𝑎+1 𝑎 −1 a−1
 2m−1 m−2
Subtract and simplify 2 −
m −6m+5 m2 −4m−5
2m−1 m−2
− find the LCD of m2 − 6m + 5 and m2 − 4m − 5 = 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1
m2 −6m+5 m2 −4m−5

2m − 1 m−2 (2𝑚 − 1)(𝑚 + 1) (𝑚 − 2)(𝑚 − 1)

− = −
(𝑚 − 5)(𝑚 − 1) 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1

2𝑚2 + 𝑚 − 1 𝑚2 − 3𝑚 + 2 2𝑚2 + 𝑚 − 1 − 𝑚2 − 3𝑚 + 2 2𝑚2 + 𝑚 − 1 − 𝑚2 + 3𝑚 − 2

− = =
𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1

2𝑚2 + 𝑚 − 1 − 𝑚2 + 3𝑚 − 2 𝑚2 + 4𝑚 − 3 𝑚2 + 4𝑚 − 3
= = 3
𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚 − 5𝑚2 − 𝑚 + 5

2m − 1 m−2 𝑚2 + 4𝑚 − 3 𝑚2 + 4𝑚 − 3
− = = 3
m2 − 6m + 5 m2 − 4m − 5 𝑚−5 𝑚+1 𝑚−1 𝑚 − 5𝑚2 − 𝑚 + 5
 5 p+3 3p
Solve: + −
p−6 p2 −7p+6 p2 −5p−6

5 p+3 3p
+ −
p−6 p2 −7p+6 p2 −5p−6
Factor each denominator to find the LCD.
p − 6 = (p − 6)
p2 − 7p + 6 = (p − 6)(p − 1)
p − 5p −6 = (p − 6)(p + 1)
2

LCD=(p − 6)(p − 1)(p + 1)

 5 p+3 3p
+ 2 − 2
p − 6 p − 7p + 6 p − 5p − 6
5 p+3 3p
+ −
p − 6 (p − 6)(p − 1) (p − 6)(p + 1)
5(p + 1)(p − 1) (p + 3)(p + 1) 3p(p − 1)
+ −
(p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1)

(5p + 5)(p − 1) p2 + 4p + 3 3p2 − 3p

+ −
(p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1)
5p2 − 5 p2 + 4p + 3 3p2 − 3p
+ −
(p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1)
 5p2 − 5 p2 + 3p + 3 3p2 − 3p
+ −
(p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1) (p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1)

5p2 −5+ p2 +4p+3 −(3p2 −3p)

=
(p−6)(p+1)(p−1)

5p2 − 5 + p2 + 4p + 3 − 3p2 + 3p
=
(p − 6)(p + 1)(p−1)

3p2 +7p−2
=
(p−6)(p+1)(p−1)

5 p+3 3p 3p2 +7p−2

+ − =
p−6 p2 −7p+6 p −5p−6 (p−6)(p+1)(p−1)
2