LESSON

1.5 Rational Equations

OBJECTIVE
In this lesson, you will be able to
identify and solve rational equations.

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 RATIONAL EXPRESSION
𝑨
• A rational expression can be written in the form where
𝑩
𝐴 and 𝐵 are polynomials and 𝐵 ≠ 0.
• Rational expressions are also called algebraic fractions.
The following are rational expressions:
7 𝑥 2 −𝑥−6 𝑥 2 +7𝑥+10
, , and
𝑎𝑏 𝑥+2 𝑥+5
The following are not rational expressions:
5+ 𝑥 𝑥 1/2 + 2 𝑥 −2 + 2
, , and
𝑥 𝑥+2 𝑥 −1
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 RATIONAL EQUATION

• A rational equation is one that involves

rational expressions.

The following equations are rational equations:

2𝑥 𝑥+4 𝑥+1 𝑥 4
−5= + =
𝑥+3 𝑥−1 𝑥 2 −1 2𝑥−3 𝑥−1

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 REMEMBER!
When solving a rational equation, be aware of the
domain of the equation, which is the intersection of the
domains of the rational expressions.
2𝑥 𝑥+4
• In the rational equation −5= ,−𝟑 and 𝟏 are excluded as
𝑥+3 𝑥−1
possible values of 𝑥 and are not in the domain.
𝑥+1 𝑥 4 𝟑
• In the equation + = ,−𝟏, 𝟏, and are excluded as
𝑥 2 −1 2𝑥−3 𝑥−1 𝟐
possible values of 𝑥 and are not in the domain.
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 1 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝒙 𝟏 𝒙
+ =
𝟓 𝟒 𝟐
Solution:
• Domain is set of all real numbers.
• LCD = 20
𝑥 1 𝑥
20 + = 20
5 4 2
4𝑥 + 5 = 10𝑥
5 = 10𝑥 − 4𝑥
5 = 6𝑥
𝟓
𝟓 = 𝒙
Therefore, the solution is . 𝟔
𝟔 Be
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 2 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝟏 𝟑 𝟏
= −𝟐
𝟒 𝒙
Solution:
• 0 is not in the domain.
• LCD = 4𝑥
1 3 1
4𝑥 = 4𝑥 −
4 𝑥 2
𝑥 = 12 − 2𝑥
𝑥 + 2𝑥 = 12
3𝑥 = 12
Therefore, the 𝒙=𝟒
solution is 𝟒. 4 checks as a solution. Be
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 3 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝟐𝒙+𝟏 −𝟐
+𝟑=
𝒙+𝟒 𝒙+𝟒
Solution:
• −4 is not in the domain. 2𝑥+1 −2
𝑥+4 𝑥+4
+3 =𝑥+4 𝑥+4
• LCD = 𝑥 + 4
(2𝑥 + 1) + 3 𝑥 + 4 = −2
2𝑥 + 1 + 3𝑥 + 12 = −2
5𝑥 + 13 = −2
5𝑥 = −15
𝒙 = −𝟑
Therefore, the solution is −𝟑. -3 checks as a solution. Be
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 4 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝟑𝒚+𝟗 𝟑𝒚+𝟏
+𝟐=
𝒚+𝟏 𝒚+𝟏
Solution:
• −1 is not in the domain. 3𝑦+9 3𝑦+1
𝑦+1 +2 =𝑦+1
𝑦+1 𝑦+1
• LCD = 𝑦 + 1
3𝑦 + 9 + 2 𝑦 + 1 = 3𝑦 + 1
3𝑦 + 9 + 2𝑦 + 2 = 3𝑦 + 1
3𝑦 + 2𝑦 − 3𝑦 = 1 − 9 − 2
2𝑦 = −10
𝒚 = −𝟓
Therefore, the solution is −𝟓. -5 checks as a solution. Be
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 5 Solving Rational Equations
Solve:
𝟗 𝟑𝒙
+𝟐=
𝒙−𝟑 𝒙−𝟑
Solution:
• 3 is not in the domain. However, the proposed solution,
3, is not in the domain and
• LCD = 𝑥 − 3 replacing 𝑥 with 3 in the original
9 3𝑥
𝑥−3 +2 = 𝑥−3 equation would require division by
𝑥−3 𝑥−3 0, which is not defined.
9 + 2 𝑥 − 3 = 3𝑥
9 + 2𝑥 − 6 = 3𝑥 Therefore, the equation has
no solution.
9 − 6 = 3𝑥 − 2𝑥
𝟑=𝒙 Be
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 REMEMBER!
Just because an equation can be written does not
mean that there is a solution. Equations with no solution
are called contradictions. A simple example of
contradiction is 𝑥 = 𝑥 + 1. This equation has no solution.

An extraneous solution is an apparent solution

that does not solve its equation.

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 6 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝟒𝒙+𝟏 𝟏𝟐
−𝟑=
𝒙+𝟏 𝒙𝟐 −𝟏
Solution:
• −1 and 1 are not in the domain.
• LCD = 𝑥 2 − 1 or (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1)
4𝑥+1 12
𝑥−1 𝑥+1 − 3 = (𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1)
𝑥+1 𝑥 2 −1
𝑥 − 1 4𝑥 + 1 − 3(𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1) = 12
4𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 1 − 3(𝑥 2 − 1) = 12 𝑥 − 5 = 0 or 𝑥 + 2 = 0
4𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 1 − 3𝑥 2 + 3 − 12 = 0 𝒙=𝟓 𝒙 = −𝟐
𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 10 = 0
𝑥 − 5 𝑥 + 2 = 0 Thus, the solutions are −𝟐 and 𝟓.
 7 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝟒 −𝟒𝒙+𝟏𝟐
𝟑𝒙 + =
𝒙−𝟐 𝒙−𝟐
Solution:
• 2 is not in the domain. 3𝑥 + 4 = 0 or 𝑥 − 2 = 0
• LCD = 𝑥 − 2 3𝑥 = −4 𝒙=𝟐
𝟒
4 −4𝑥+12 𝒙=−
(𝑥 − 2) 3𝑥 + = (𝑥 − 2) 𝟑
𝑥−2 𝑥−2 4
−3 checks as a solution; 2 is
3𝑥 𝑥 − 2 + 4 = −4𝑥 + 12
not in the domain and does not
3𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 4 = −4𝑥 + 12
check as a solution.
3𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 4𝑥 + 4 − 12 = 0 𝟒
3𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 8 = 0 Therefore, the solution is − 𝟑.
3𝑥 + 4 𝑥 − 2 = 0 Be
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 8 Solving Rational Equations
Solve: 𝟐𝒙 𝒙+𝟏 𝒙−𝟏
𝒙−𝟑
+ 𝒙+𝟒
= 𝒙−𝟑
Solution:
• 3 and −4 are not in the domain. 𝑥 + 1 = 0 or 2𝑥 + 1 = 0
• LCD = (𝑥 − 3)(𝑥 + 4) 𝒙 = −𝟏 2𝑥 = −1
𝟏
𝑥−3 𝑥+4
2𝑥
+
𝑥+1
= 𝑥−3 𝑥+4
𝑥−1 𝒙=−
𝟐
𝑥−3 𝑥+4 𝑥−3 1
− 2 and −1 check as
2𝑥 𝑥 + 4 + 𝑥 + 1 𝑥 − 3 = 𝑥 − 1 𝑥 + 4
solutions.
2𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 + 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 3 = 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 4
2𝑥 2 + 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 − 2𝑥 − 3𝑥 − 3 + 4 = 0 Therefore, the solutions
𝟏
2𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 1 = 0 are −𝟏 and − 𝟐.
𝑥 + 1 2𝑥 + 1 = 0 Be
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 9 Solving Rational Equations
Solve for 𝑏 in terms of the other variables.
𝒂 𝒅 𝟐
+ =
𝒃+𝒄 𝒃−𝒄 𝒃+𝒄
Solution:
• LCD = (𝑏 + 𝑐)(𝑏 − 𝑐) 𝑎𝑏 + 𝑏𝑑 − 2𝑏 = 𝑎𝑐 − 𝑐𝑑 − 2𝑐
𝑎 𝑑 2 𝑏(𝑎 + 𝑑 − 2) = 𝑐(𝑎 − 𝑑 − 2)
+ =
𝑏+𝑐 𝑏−𝑐 𝑏+𝑐 𝒄(𝒂−𝒅−𝟐)
𝑎 𝑑 2 𝒃=
𝑏+𝑐 𝑏−𝑐 + = 𝑏+𝑐 𝑏−𝑐 𝒂+𝒅−𝟐
𝑏+𝑐 𝑏−𝑐 𝑏+𝑐
𝑎 𝑏−𝑐 +𝑑 𝑏+𝑐 =2 𝑏−𝑐
𝑎𝑏 − 𝑎𝑐 + 𝑏𝑑 + 𝑐𝑑 = 2𝑏 − 2𝑐
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 10 Solving Rational Equations
1 1 1
Solve the formula = +𝑟 for r.
𝑟 𝑟1 2
1 1 1
Note: = + is used to calculate parallel resistances.
r r1 r2
Solution:
• LCD = 𝑟 𝑟1 𝑟2 1
=
1 1
+𝑟
𝑟 𝑟1 2
1 1 1
𝑟 𝑟1 𝑟2 𝑟 =𝑟 𝑟1 𝑟2 𝑟 + 𝑟2
1

𝑟1 𝑟2 = 𝑟𝑟2 + 𝑟 𝑟1
𝑟1 𝑟2 = 𝑟(𝑟2 + 𝑟1 )
𝒓𝟏 𝒓 𝟐
𝒓𝟐 + 𝒓𝟏
=𝒓 Be
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 11 Problem Involving Consecutive Integers
Find two consecutive integers such that the sum of one-third of the
first and one-fourth of the second is 9.
Solution:
Let 𝑛 = the first integer 7𝑛 = 108 − 3
𝑛 + 1 = the second integer 7𝑛 = 105
Equation: 𝑛 = 15 first integer
𝟏 𝟏
𝟑
𝒏 +
𝟒
𝒏+𝟏 = 9 To find the second integer:
(one-third of the first integer) (one-fourth of the second integer) is 9 𝑛 + 1 = 15 + 1 = 16
• LCD = 12 Thus, two consecutive
1 1 1
12 𝑛 +4𝑛 + = 9(12) integers are 𝟏𝟓 and 𝟏𝟔.
3 4
4𝑛 + 3𝑛 + 3 = 108 Be
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 12 Number Problem
The denominator of a fraction is 2 more than the numerator. If 1 is
subtracted from both numerator and denominator, the resulting fraction
1
has a value of 2. Find the original fraction.
Solution:
Let 𝑥 = the numerator, 2 𝑥−1 =1 𝑥+1
𝑥 + 2 = the denominator, and 2𝑥 − 2 = 𝑥 + 1
𝑥
𝑥+2
= the original fraction 2𝑥 − 𝑥 = 1 + 2
Equation: 𝑥=3
𝑥−1
=
1 To find the original fraction:
𝑥+2−1 2 𝑥 3 𝟑
1 is subtracted from both numerator and denominator the resulting fraction is 1/2.
= =
𝑥+2 3+2 𝟓
𝑥−1 1 𝟑
= • LCD = 2(𝑥 + 1) Thus, the original fraction is .
𝑥+1 2 𝟓
 13 Solving Rational Equations
An express train travels 150 km in the same time that a freight train travels
100 km. If the express train goes 20 km per hour faster than the freight
train, find the rate of each train.
Solution:
Let 𝑟 = the rate of the freight train, and 100𝑟 + 2 000 = 150𝑟
𝑟 + 20 = the rate of the express train 2 000 = 150𝑟 − 100𝑟
d r t 2 000 = 50𝑟
Freight Train 100 r
100 40 = 𝑟 freight
𝑟 train’s rate
150
Express Train 150 r + 20 To find the express train’s rate:
𝑟 + 20
100 150 𝑟 + 20 = 40 + 20 = 60
= 𝑟
• LCD = 𝑟(𝑟 + 20)
𝑟+20 Thus, the freight train’s rate is 40 kph and the
100 𝑟 + 20 = 150(𝑟) express train’s rate if 60 kph.
Thank you for listening!