GENERAL MATHEMATICS

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: 

1. represent real-life situations using rational functions,,

2. distinguish rational function, rational equation, and rational inequality.

3. solve rational equations and inequalities.

 Representing Real-Life
Situations using Rational
Functions
Polynomial Function

A polynomial function p of degree n is a function that can be written in the form

Where R, and is a positive integer. Each addend of the sum is a term of the
polynomial function. The constants are the coefficients. The leading coefficient
is . The leading term is , and the constant term is .

•  𝟒 𝟐
Examples:
𝒇 ( 𝒙 )=𝟑 𝒙 +𝒙 +𝟐 𝒙− 𝟑
𝒈 ( 𝒙 ) = 𝒙+𝟏
 

𝟐
𝒈 ( 𝒙 ) =𝟐 𝒙 +𝟓 𝒙 −𝟏
 
Rational Function

 
A rational function is a function in the form where and are
polynomial functions and is not a zero function, . The domain of is
the set of all values of where .

Note: Unlike polynomial functions, rational functions may contain a variable in the
denominator.
•  𝒙+𝟑
Examples: 𝒇 𝒙 = 𝒈 (𝒙 )= 𝒙
( ) 𝟏𝟎  

  𝟑 𝒙 + 𝟐 𝒙𝒙
𝟐
+𝟏−𝟐
𝒈 (𝒙 )=
𝒙 −𝟓
Example of Rational Function in Real-life
  The distance from Tacloban City to Cebu City is 260 kilometers. How long will it take you
to get to Cebu from Tacloban if your average speed is 20 kilometers per hour? 25 kilometers
per hour? 30 kilometers per hour? Construct a function , where is the speed of travel, that
describes the time it takes to drive from Tacloban City to Cebu City.

Solution: Distance is calculated as the product of speed and time. So, we can get the time
by dividing distance by the speed.
260 kilometers/ 20 kilometers per hour = 13 hours
260 kilometers/ 25 kilometers per hour = 10.4 hours
260 kilometers/ 30 kilometers per hour = 8.67 hours
  Since time is the quotient of distance and speed, we can write out the function as.
The distance is fixed at 260 kilometers so the final function we have is .
Rational Functions, Equations
and Inequalities
Rational Expression
A rational expression is an expression that can be written as a ratio of
two polynomials.

The following are examples of rational expressions:

 
𝟏  
𝟕  
2− 𝒙   2
𝒙 +2 𝒙 +1  
3 𝒙 +5
𝒙 𝒙 −𝟐 𝒙 −2 𝒙 −1 2𝒙
2
Try this!
Determine whether the given expression is a rational
expression or not.

𝟐
𝟐 𝒙 +𝟑 𝒙 +𝟏
 

𝒙 +𝟐
Try this!
Determine whether the given expression is a rational
expression or not.

1
 

3
𝑥
Try this!
Determine whether the given expression is a rational
expression or not.

𝟐
𝒙 +𝟒 𝒙 +𝟒
 

𝟑
Try this!
Determine whether the given expression is a rational
expression or not.

√ 𝑥 +1
 

𝑥 −1
Try this!
Determine whether the given expression is a rational
expression or not.

  𝟏
𝟐
( 𝒙+𝟐)
𝟐 𝒙+ 𝟑
 Rational Equation Rational Inequality Rational Function
     

An equation
An inequality A function of the
involving rational
involving rational form and where and
expressions.
expressions. is not the zero
 Example:
Example: function.
Example:

 A rational equation or inequality can be solved for all x

values that satisfy the equation or inequality.
  A rational function expresses a relationship between two variablesand can be represented by
a table of values or a graph.
Solving Rational Equations
 Procedure for Solving Rational Equations
To solve rational equations:
a. Eliminate denominators by multiplying each term of the
equation by the least common denominator.
b. Note that eliminating denominators may introduce
extraneous solutions.
c. Check the solutions of the transformed equations with the
original equation.
  
Example 1: Solve for x in the rational equation
 
Solution:

1. Factor each denominator in the

rational expression.

2. Multiply the LCD to both sides of the equation to remove the denominators.

3. Solve for the value of x using the Factoring Method.

 3. Solve for the value of x using the Check:
 

Factoring Method.

undefined
 
𝒙 −𝟓=𝟎  
𝒙+𝟐=𝟎  
 
𝒙=𝟓  
𝒙=−𝟐
  Since makes the original equation
undefined, is an extraneous solution.
Thus, is the only solution.
Example 2: Solve for x in the rational equation
 

Solution:  𝒙 𝟑 𝟐
− =
𝟏𝟓 𝟓 𝟑 Eliminate the denominators by multiplying each
term by the LCD which is 15. Then solve for x.
  𝒙 𝟑 𝟐
(𝟏𝟓) −(𝟏𝟓) =(𝟏𝟓)
𝟏𝟓 𝟓 𝟑
Check:  
𝒙=𝟏𝟗
  𝟒𝟓 𝟑𝟎
𝒙− =
𝟓 𝟑   𝒙 𝟑 𝟐   𝟏𝟎 𝟐
− = =
 
𝒙 − 𝟗=𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟓 𝟓 𝟑 𝟏𝟓 𝟑
 
𝒙=𝟏𝟎+𝟗
 (𝟏𝟗) 𝟑 𝟐
− =   𝟐 𝟐
𝟏𝟓 𝟓 𝟑 =
 
𝒙=𝟏𝟗   𝟏𝟗 − 𝟗 𝟐
𝟑 𝟑
=
𝟏𝟓 𝟑
Example 3:

In an inter-school basketball league, the team from HIC has won 12 out of 25
games, a winning percentage of 48%. How many games should they win in a row
to improve their win percentage to 60%.
Solution:
  Let represent the number of games that they need to win to raise their
percentage to 60%.
 The team has already won 12 out of their 25 games.
 If they win games in a row to increase their percentage to 60%, then they
would have played games out of games.
 The equation is
 
Multiply both sides by and solve the equation.

Therefore, HIC needs to win 8 games to raise their winning percentage to

60%.
Solving Rational Inequalities
Procedure for Solving Rational Inequalities

To solve rational inequalities:

(a) Use addition or subtraction to rewrite the inequality as a single fraction on one side
of the inequality symbol and 0 on the other side.
(b) Determine over what intervals the fraction takes on positive and negative values.
i. Locate the x-values for which the rational expression is zero or undefined
(factoring the numerator and denominator is a useful strategy).
ii. Mark the numbers found in (i) on a number line.
Use a shaded circle to indicate that the value is included in the solution set, and a
hollow circle to indicate that the value is excluded.
These numbers partition the number line into intervals.
 Procedure for Solving Rational Inequalities
To solve rational inequalities:
(a) Use addition or subtraction to rewrite the inequality as a single
fraction on one side of the inequality symbol and 0 on the other side.
(b) Determine over what intervals the fraction takes on positive and
negative values.
i. Locate the x-values for which the rational expression is zero
or undefined (factoring the numerator and denominator is a
useful strategy).
ii. Mark the numbers found in (i) on a number line.
Use a shaded circle to indicate that the value is included in the
solution set, and a hollow circle to indicate that the value is
excluded.
These numbers partition the number line into intervals.
 Procedure for Solving Rational Inequalities

iii. Select a test point within the interior of each interval in (ii).
The sign of the rational expression at this test point is also the
sign of the rational expression at each interior point in the
aforementioned interval.
iv. Summarize the intervals containing the solutions.
Example 1:
 
Solve the inequality .

Solution: b. Identify the values of x that will make the

rational expression zero or undefined by
a. Rewrite the inequality as a
setting the numerator equal to zero and the
single rational expression.
denominator equal to zero.
 
 Numerator:

Denominator:

 Therational expression will be zero for and

undefined for .
  Therational expression will be zero for and
undefined for .
 The
value is included while is not.
Mark these on the number line.
 
𝒙< −𝟏  
−1< 𝒙 <1  
𝒙< 1

 Usea shaded circle for (a solution) and

an unshaded circle for (not a solution).
 c. Choose convenient test points in the intervals determined by and
to determine the sign of in these intervals.
Construct a table of signs as shown below.

Interval
Test Point
 c. Choose convenient test points in the intervals determined by and
to determine the sign of in these intervals.
Construct a table of signs as shown below.

Interval
Test Point

  𝒙 −𝟏
≥𝟎
𝒙+𝟏
 
d. we determine the solution to be the set . Plot this set on the
number line.