SOLVING

RATIONAL
EQUATIONS
Prepared by Mr. Ericson V. Magapan
 Problem
Mang Pedro can plow a
field in 4 hours. It takes
Mang Tomas 5 hours to
plow the same field
alone. If they work
together (and each has a
plow), how long will it
take them to plow the
field?
Work-Rate Problem

Worker Time to Finish

Mang Pedro 4 hours
Mang Tomas 5 hours
Worker Time to Finish Job per time
Mang Pedro 4 hours 1
4
Mang Tomas 5 hours 1
5
Work-Rate Problem
If the first person does a job in time A, a second person does a job in
time B, and together they can do a job in time T (total). We can use
1 1 1
the work-rate equation: + =
𝐴 𝐵 𝑇

Job per time Job per time

(Mang Pedro) + Job per time
(Mang Tomas) = (Total)

1 1 1
+ =
4 5 𝑇
Solution:
Continuation:
1 1 1
+ =
4 5 𝑥
9𝑥 20
LCD: 20x =
9 9
1 1 1
20𝑥 + 20𝑥 = (20𝑥)
4 5 𝑥 9𝑥 20
1 5 1 4 1 =
20𝑥 + 20𝑥 = (20𝑥) 9 9
4
1
5 𝑥
1 20 2
𝑥= or 2 or 2.22 hours
9 9
5𝑥 + 4𝑥 = 20
9𝑥 = 20 Conclusion, Therefore, it will take 2.22 hours for Mang
Pedro and Mang Tomas to plow the field together.
Check:
1 1 1
Original equation: + =
4 5 𝑥

1 1 1
+ =
4 5 20
9
1 1 9
+ =
4 5 20
1 5 1 4 9
+ =
4 5 5 4 20
5 4 9
+ =
20 20 20
9 9
= TRUE
20 20
Def inition
• A Rational Equation is an equation involving rational
expressions. It uses an equality (=) symbol.

Examples:
2 3 1 2+𝑥 𝑥+6 1
− = , = 8, =
𝑥 2𝑥 5 𝑥−8 𝑥−4 𝑥+1
Steps in Solving Rational
Equations
1. Find the LCD (Least Common Denominator) of the given
rational expressions. The LCD is the smallest multiple that the
denominators have in common. To find the LCD of two rational
expressions, we factor the expressions and multiply all of the
distinct factors.
2. Multiply the LCD to every term both in the left and right
sides of the equation.
Steps in Solving Rational
Equations
3. Eliminate denominators by multiplying each term of
the equation by the least common denominator or
LCD.
4. Solve the equation and simplify your answer.
5. Check your solution if it makes the rational equation
true.
Examples:
2 3 1
1. 𝑥
−
2𝑥
=
5
𝑥 12
2. + =𝑥−2
3 𝑥
1 3 1
3. = −
10 𝑥 2
𝑥 1 8
4. 𝑥+2
−
𝑥−2
=
𝑥 2 −4
 Check:
2 3 1
1. − = 2 3 1
𝑥 2𝑥 5 − =
LCD: 10x 𝑥 2𝑥 5

2 3 1 2 3 1
10𝑥 − 10𝑥 = (10𝑥) − =
𝑥 2𝑥 5 5 5 5
2
5 2 2 2
2 3 1
10𝑥 − 10𝑥 = (10𝑥) 2 3 1
𝑥 2𝑥 5
1 2∙ − =
1 5 5 5
20 − 15 = 2𝑥 4 3 1
− =
5 = 2𝑥 5 5 5
5 1 1
=𝑥 = TRUE
2 5 5
 5
Conclusion: Therefore, 𝑥 = is a root of the rational
2
equation.
 𝑥 12
2. + =𝑥−2
3 𝑥
LCD: 3x
𝑥 12
(3𝑥) + (3𝑥) = 𝑥 − 2(3𝑥)
3 𝑥
𝑥 12
3𝑥 + 3𝑥 = 𝑥 − 2 3𝑥
3 𝑥
𝑥 2 + 36 = 3𝑥 2 − 6𝑥
0 = 3𝑥 2 − 𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 − 36
0 = 2𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 − 36 (This polynomial can still be reduced to make the
leading coefficient to 1 so it would be easy to find the factors of the
polynomial. So, we divide each term by their GCF.)
 𝑥 12
2. + =𝑥−2
3 𝑥 Continuation: (Zero-Product Property)
LCD: 3x
𝑥−6=0 𝑥+3=0
𝑥 12 𝑥=6 𝑥 = −3
(3𝑥) + (3𝑥) = (𝑥 − 2)(3𝑥)
3 𝑥
𝑥 12
3𝑥 + 3𝑥 = (𝑥 − 2) 3𝑥 Check: Check:
3 𝑥
𝑥 2 + 36 = 3𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 6 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = −3

0 = 3𝑥 2 − 𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 − 36 𝑥 12 𝑥 12
+ =𝑥−2 + =𝑥−2
3 𝑥 3 𝑥
1
(0 = 2𝑥 2− 6𝑥 − 36) 6 12 −3 12
2 + =6−2 + = −3 − 2
3 6 3 −3
0 = 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 18
2+2=4 −1 + −4 = −5
0 = (𝑥 − 6)(𝑥 + 3)
4=4 TRUE −5 = −5 TRUE
Conclusion: Therefore, x = −3 and 𝑥 = 6 are
roots of the rational equation.
 1 3 1
3. = − Check:
10 𝑥 2
𝐿𝐶𝐷: 10𝑥 1 3 1
= −
10 𝑥 2
1 3 1
10𝑥 = 10𝑥 − (10𝑥) 1 3
=5−2
1
10 𝑥 2 10
5
1 3 1 1 3 2 1 5
10𝑥 = 10𝑥 − (10𝑥) = −
10 𝑥 2 10 5 2 2 5
𝑥 = 30 − 5𝑥 1
1 6 5
𝑥 + 5𝑥 = 30 = −
10 10 10
6𝑥 = 30 1 1
= TRUE
6𝑥 30 10 10
=
6 6
𝑥=5
Conclusion: Therefore, x = 5 is a
root of the rational equation.
 𝑥 1 8
4. − = (Notice that 𝑥 2 − 4 is a difference of two squares)
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 𝑥 2 −4
𝑥 1 8
− =
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 𝑥 + 2 (𝑥 − 2)
LCD: (𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 − 2)
𝑥 1 8
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 − 𝑥+2 𝑥−2 = (𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 − 2)
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 𝑥+2 𝑥−2
𝑥 1 8
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 − 𝑥+2 𝑥−2 = (𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 − 2)
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 𝑥+2 𝑥−2
𝑥 𝑥−2 − 𝑥+2 =8
𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 − 𝑥 − 2 = 8
Continuation:

𝑥 2 − 3x − 2 − 8 = 0
𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 10 = 0
𝑥−5 𝑥+2 =0

𝑥−5=0 𝑥+2=0
By Zero Product Property,
𝑥=5 𝑥 = −2
Check:
If 𝑥 = 5 If 𝑥 = −2

𝑥 1 8 𝑥 1 8
− = 2 − =
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 𝑥 −4 𝑥 + 2 𝑥 − 2 𝑥2 − 4
5 1 8 −2 1 8
− = 2 − =
5+2 5−2 5 −4 −2 + 2 −2 − 2 (−2)2 −4
5 1 8 −2 1 8
− = − =
7 3 25 − 4 0 −4 4 − 4
5 3 1 7 8 −2 1 8
− = − − = FALSE
7 3 3 7 21 0 4 0
15 7 8
− = Since it is FALSE, 𝑥 = −2 is an extraneous root
21 21 21
because it will make our rational equation
8 8
= TRUE undefined.
21 21
Conclusion: Therefore, x = 5 is the
only root of the rational equation.
Practice More
5𝑏 1 1
1. 6
− =
2 3
1 1 4𝑥+2
2. 𝑥−1
+
𝑥+1
= 2
𝑥 −1
𝑦 12
3. 3
+ =𝑦−2
𝑦
4𝑥−6 7
4. 2𝑥−3
=
𝑥+1
𝑑 1 𝑑
5. 4
+3= 1−
2 3