Partial Fractions

Introduction
• In this chapter you will learn to add
fractions with different denominators
(a recap)

• You will learn to work backwards and

split an algebraic fraction into
components called ‘Partial Fractions’
Teachings for Exercise 1A
 Partial Fractions
1 3
You can add and subtract several
fractions as long as they share a
Calculate:
8
3 +¿ 8
3
common denominator × ×
8 3
8 9
You will have seen this plenty of times 24 +¿ 24
already! If you want to combine
fractions you must make the
17
denominators equivalent…
¿ 24

1A
 Partial Fractions
Calculate: 2 1
You can add and subtract several 𝑥 +3 − 𝑥 +1
fractions as long as they share a 𝑥+1 𝑥+ 3
common denominator × ×
𝑥+1 𝑥+ 3
2( 𝑥 +1) 1( 𝑥 +3)
You will have seen this plenty of times ( 𝑥 +3)( 𝑥+ 1)
−( 𝑥 +3)( 𝑥+ 1)
already! If you want to combine Multiply
fractions you must make the brackets
denominators equivalent…
2 𝑥 +2 𝑥 +3
( 𝑥 +3)( 𝑥+ 1)− ( 𝑥 +3)( 𝑥+ 1)
Group
terms
𝑥−1
¿ ( 𝑥 +3)( 𝑥+ 1)

1A
Teachings for Exercise 1B
 Partial Fractions
You can split a fraction with two
linear factors into Partial
Fractions

𝑥−1 2 1
For example:
( 𝑥 +3)( 𝑥+ 1) ¿ 𝑥 +3 − 𝑥 +1
when split up into Partial Fractions

11 𝐴 𝐵
( 𝑥 − 3)( 𝑥+ 2) ¿ 𝑥 −3 +¿ 𝑥 +2
when split up into Partial Fractions

You need to be able to calculate the values of A and B…

1B
 Partial Fractions
6 𝑥 −2
You can split a fraction with two
linear factors into Partial ( 𝑥 − 3)( 𝑥+1) Split the Fraction into its 2 linear
Fractions parts, with numerators A and B
𝐴 𝐵
Split +¿
( 𝑥 − 3) ( 𝑥 +1) Cross-multiply to make the
6 𝑥 −2 𝐴 ( 𝑥+1) 𝐵( 𝑥 −3) denominators the same

( 𝑥 − 3)( 𝑥+1) ( 𝑥 − 3)( 𝑥+1) +¿ ( 𝑥 − 3)( 𝑥+1)

Group together as one fraction
into Partial Fractions 𝐴 ( 𝑥+ 1 ) + 𝐵( 𝑥 − 3)
¿
( 𝑥 −3)( 𝑥 +1) This has the same denominator as
the initial fraction, so the
numerators must be the same
6 𝑥 − 2¿A ( 𝑥+ 1 ) + 𝐵(𝑥 − 3)
If x = -1: − 8¿− 4 𝐵
2¿𝐵
If x = 3: 16¿4 𝐴
4¿ 𝐴 You now have the values of A and
B and can write the answer as
4 2 Partial Fractions
¿
( 𝑥 − 3)+¿ ( 𝑥 +1)
1B
Teachings for Exercise 1C
 Partial Fractions
You can also split fractions
with more than 2 linear factors
in the denominator

4 𝐴 𝐵 𝐶
For example:
¿
( 𝑥 +1 ) ( 𝑥 −3 ) ( 𝑥+ 4) 𝑥 +1 +¿ 𝑥 −3 +¿ 𝑥+4
when split up into Partial Fractions

1C
 Partial Fractions
2
6 𝑥 + 5 𝑥 −2
You can also split fractions 𝑥 ( 𝑥 − 1)( 2 𝑥 +1) Split the Fraction into
with more than 2 linear factors its 3 linear parts
𝐴
+¿𝑥 − 1+¿2 𝑥𝐶+1
𝐵
in the denominator
𝑥 Cross Multiply to make
Split the denominators equal
𝐴( 𝑥 −1)(2 𝑥 +1) 𝐵( 𝑥 )(2 𝑥 +1) 𝐶 ( 𝑥)( 𝑥 − 1)
2
6 𝑥 + 5 𝑥 −2 +¿ +¿
𝑥 ( 𝑥 −1)(2 𝑥+1) 𝑥 ( 𝑥 − 1)( 2 𝑥 +1) 𝑥 ( 𝑥 − 1)( 2 𝑥 +1)
𝑥 ( 𝑥 − 1)( 2 𝑥 +1) Put the fractions
together
into Partial fractions 𝐴 ( 𝑥 −1 ) ( 2 𝑥+1 ) + 𝐵 ( 𝑥 )( 2 𝑥+1 )+ 𝐶 (𝑥)(𝑥 − 1)
𝑥 (𝑥 −1)(2 𝑥 +1) The numerators
must be equal

6 𝑥 +5 𝑥 −2¿𝐴 ( 𝑥 − 1 )( 2 𝑥+1 ) +𝐵 ( 𝑥 ) ( 2 𝑥 +1 ) +𝐶(𝑥)(𝑥 −1)

2

If x = 1 9¿ 3
3¿𝐵
If x = 0 − 2¿− 𝐴
2¿𝐴
If x = -0.5 − 3¿0.75 𝐶
− 4¿𝐶 You can now fill in
the numerators

¿ 𝑥+¿𝑥 − 1−2 𝑥4+1

2 3

1C
 Partial Fractions
3 2
You can also split fractions 𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 𝑥+ 6 Try substituting factors to
with more than 2 linear factors make the expression 0
in the denominator
3 2
¿
(1) − 4 ( 1 ) +(1)+6 4
Split (−1)3 − 4 ( −1 ) 2+(−1)+6 0
2
4 𝑥 −21 𝑥 +11 Therefore (x + 1) is a factor…
𝑥 3 − 4 𝑥 2+ 𝑥 +6 Divide the expression by (x + 1)

into Partial fractions

𝑥−5 𝑥 +6
2

𝑥+ 1𝑥 3 − 4 𝑥 2 + 𝑥+ 6
You will need to 3 2
factorise the
𝑥 +𝑥
2
denominator first… −5 𝑥 + 𝑥+6
2
−5 𝑥 − 5 𝑥
6 𝑥 +6
6 𝑥 +6
0
3 2 2
𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 𝑥+ 6¿ ( 𝑥+1)( 𝑥 −5 𝑥 +6) You can now factorise

𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 𝑥+ 6¿( 𝑥+ 1)
the quadratic part
3 2
( 𝑥 − (2)𝑥 − 3)
1C
 Partial Fractions
2 2
4 𝑥 −21 𝑥 +11 4 𝑥 − 21 𝑥 +11
You can also split fractions 3 2 ¿
𝑥 − 4 𝑥 + 𝑥 +6 ( 𝑥 +1)( 𝑥 −2)( 𝑥 − 3) Split the fraction into
with more than 2 linear factors its 3 linear parts
in the denominator 𝐴 𝐵 𝐶
+¿
𝑥 +1 𝑥 − 2 𝑥 − 3 +¿
Split Cross
multiply
𝐴( 𝑥 − 2)( 𝑥 −3) 𝐵( 𝑥 +1) (𝑥 −3) 𝐶 ( 𝑥 +1)( 𝑥 −2)
2
4 𝑥 −21 𝑥 +11 +¿ +¿
( 𝑥 +1) (𝑥 −2)( 𝑥 − 3) ( 𝑥 +1) (𝑥 −2)( 𝑥 − 3) ( 𝑥 +1) (𝑥 −2)( 𝑥 − 3)
𝑥 3 − 4 𝑥 2+ 𝑥 +6 Group the
fractions
into Partial fractions 𝐴 ( 𝑥 −2 )( 𝑥 − 3 ) + 𝐵 ( 𝑥+1 ) ( 𝑥 −3 ) +𝐶 ( 𝑥 +1) (𝑥 −2)
( 𝑥 +1)( 𝑥 −2)( 𝑥 − 3) The
numerators
must be
2
¿𝐴 ( 𝑥 − 2 ) ( 𝑥 −3 ) + 𝐵 ( 𝑥 +1 ) ( 𝑥 − 3 ) +𝐶(𝑥 +1)(𝑥 − 2)
4 𝑥 −21 𝑥+11
equal

If x = 2 −1 5¿−3 𝐵
5 ¿𝐵
If x = 3 16 ¿C
− 4¿𝐶
If x = -1 36 ¿A
3 ¿𝐴 Replace A,
B and C
¿ 𝑥 3+1+¿𝑥 5− 2−𝑥 − 3
4

1C
Teachings for Exercise 1D
 Partial Fractions
You need to be able to split a
fraction that has repeated linear
roots into a Partial Fraction

2
3 𝑥 − 4 𝑥+ 2 𝐴 𝐵 𝐶
For example:
( 𝑥 +1 ) ¿ ¿ ¿ +¿
( 𝑥 +1) ( 𝑥 − 5) +¿ ¿¿
when split up into
Partial Fractions

The repeated root is

included once ‘fully’ and
once ‘broken down’

1D
 Partial Fractions
2
11 𝑥 +14 𝑥 +5
You need to be able to split a
fraction that has repeated linear
¿¿ Split the fraction into
its 3 parts
roots into a Partial Fraction 𝐴 𝐵 𝐶
( 𝑥 +1)+¿¿ ¿ +¿(2 𝑥+ 1)
Split Make the denominators
equivalent
𝐴(𝑥 +1)(2 𝑥+1) 𝐵 (2 𝑥+1)
𝐶 ¿¿
2
11 𝑥 +14 𝑥 +5
¿¿
+¿ ¿ ¿ +¿
¿¿ Group up
into Partial fractions
¿ 𝐴 ( 𝑥+1 )( 2𝑥+1 ) +𝐵 ( 2𝑥+1 ) +𝐶¿¿ The numerators
will be the same
11 𝑥 +14 𝑥 +5¿𝐴 ( 𝑥 +1 ) ( 2 𝑥 +1 ) + 𝐵 ( 2 𝑥 +1 ) +𝐶 ¿
2

If x = -1 2 ¿− 𝐵
− 2¿𝐵
¿
If x = -0.5 0.75 0.25 𝐶
At this point there is no way to
cancel B and C to leave A by
3 ¿𝐶
substituting a value in If x = 0 5 ¿1 𝐴+¿1 𝐵+¿3 C
Choose any value for x (that 5 ¿𝐴−2+¿
hasn’t been used yet), and use
the values you know for B and C
4 ¿𝐴 Sub in the values
of A, B and C
4 2 3
to leave A
¿( 𝑥 +1) ¿ ¿+¿(2 𝑥+ 1)
−
1D
Teachings for Exercise 1E
 Partial Fractions
You can split an improper fraction into
Partial Fractions. You will need to divide
the numerator by the denominator first
to find the ‘whole’ part

A regular fraction being

22 1 3
35 ¿ +¿ 5 7
split into 2 ‘components’

57 1 3
20 ¿2+¿ +¿ 4 5
A top heavy (improper) fraction
will have a ‘whole number part
before the fractions

1E
 Partial Fractions
2
3 𝑥 2 −3 𝑥 − 2
You can split an improper fraction into
3 𝑥 − 3 𝑥 −2
( 𝑥 − 1)( 𝑥 − 2)
¿ 𝑥 2 −3 𝑥 +2
Partial Fractions. You will need to divide Divide the numerator by
the denominator to find
the numerator by the denominator first 3 the ‘whole’ part
to find the ‘whole’ part 2 2
𝑥 −3 𝑥 +23 𝑥 − 3 𝑥 − 2
2
Split 3 𝑥 − 9 𝑥 +6
2
3 𝑥 − 3 𝑥 −2 6 𝑥−8 Now rewrite the original
fraction with the whole
( 𝑥 − 1)( 𝑥 − 2) 2
6 𝑥 −8 part taken out

into Partial fractions

3 𝑥 − 3 𝑥 −2
( 𝑥 − 1)( 𝑥 − 2)
¿3+ ¿( 𝑥 − 1)( 𝑥 − 2) Split the fraction into 2
parts (ignore the whole
𝐴 𝐵
Remember, Algebraically an
‘improper’ fraction is one where
+¿
( 𝑥 − 1) ( 𝑥 − 2)
part for now)

Make denominators
the degree (power) of the equivalent and group up
numerator is equal to or exceeds 𝐴 ( 𝑥 − 2 ) + 𝐵( 𝑥 −1)
¿
that of the denominator ( 𝑥 −1)( 𝑥 −2)
The numerators will be

6 𝑥 − 8¿ 𝐴 ( 𝑥 − 2 ) +𝐵(𝑥 − 1) the same

If x = 2 4¿ 𝐵
If x = 1 − 2¿− 𝐴
2¿ 𝐴
2 4
¿ 3 +¿ +¿
( 𝑥 − 1) ( 𝑥 − 2) 1E
 Summary
• We have learnt how to split Algebraic
Fractions into ‘Partial fractions’

• We have also seen how to do this when

there are more than 2 components,
when one is repeated and when the
fraction is ‘improper’