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Solving Rational Inequalities

The document outlines 5 steps for solving rational inequalities: 1) Write the inequality in the correct form with one fraction on one side and zero on the other. 2) Find the key values by setting the numerator and denominator equal to zero and solving. 3) Make a sign analysis chart using the key values to divide the number line into sections. 4) Perform sign analysis by testing numbers in each section to determine the sign. 5) Use the sign analysis chart to determine which sections satisfy the inequality and write the final answer using interval notation.

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Haque Nawaz Lashari
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3K views9 pages

Solving Rational Inequalities

The document outlines 5 steps for solving rational inequalities: 1) Write the inequality in the correct form with one fraction on one side and zero on the other. 2) Find the key values by setting the numerator and denominator equal to zero and solving. 3) Make a sign analysis chart using the key values to divide the number line into sections. 4) Perform sign analysis by testing numbers in each section to determine the sign. 5) Use the sign analysis chart to determine which sections satisfy the inequality and write the final answer using interval notation.

Uploaded by

Haque Nawaz Lashari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

SOLVING RATIONAL

INEQUALITIES:

Step 1:

Write the inequality in the correct form. One side must be zero and the other side can have only one
fraction, so simplify the fractions if there is more than one fraction.

Step 2:

Find the key or critical values. To find the key/critical values, set the numerator and denominator of the
fraction equal to zero and solve.

Step 3:

Make a sign analysis chart. To make a sign analysis chart, use the key/critical values found in Step 2 to
divide the number line into sections.

Step 4:

Perform the sign analysis. To do the sign analysis, pick one number from each of the sections created in
Step 3 and plug that number into the polynomial to determine the sign of the resulting answer. The sign
of this answer (positive or negative) will be sign of the entire section. You can check different number
from the same section if you want to verify your answer.

Step 5:

Use the sign analysis chart to determine which sections satisfy the inequality. If the inequality is less
than zero or less than or equal to zero, then you want all of the negative sections found in the sign
analysis chart. If the inequality is greater than zero or greater than or equal to zero, then you want all of
the positive sections found in the sign analysis chart.

Step 6:

Use interval notation to write the final answer.

Example 1: Solve the rational inequality


I begin solving this rational inequality by writing it in general form. The
general form implies that the rational expression is located on the left
side while the zero stays on the right. These are the four types of the
general form.

finding thezeros of the denominator is done the same way.

In this case, the two critical numbers divides the number line into three
distinct intervals.

The next step is to pick or select a number in every interval and evaluate
it back into the original rational inequality; to determine if it is a true or
false statement. A true statement means that an interval is part of the
solution, otherwise, it is not.
As you can see, the numbers I picked for each interval are highlighted in
yellow.

Example 1 Graph:

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