Learning objectives

After this lecture you should be

able to
Add and subtract rational
expressions

Adding and Subtracting

Rational Expressions
Similar rational expressions are
those that have the same
denominators.

Simplify complex fractions

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Adding and Subtracting

Rational Expressions
Rational expressions can only be
added when they are similar.
Two or more rational expression can
be made similar by getting their least
common denominator (LCD).

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Adding and Subtracting

Rational Expressions
To find the LCD,
1. Factor each denominator
completely.
2. Get all unique factors of the
denominators.
3. Get the highest power of each factor
appearing in the denominators and
multiply them.
RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Adding and Subtracting

Rational Expressions

Example: Convert to similar

rational expressions.

To make two rational

expressions similar, multiply
both numerator and
denominator of each
expression by the factor that
will make the denominators
equal to the LCD.
RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Adding and Subtracting

Rational Expressions
RULE

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Example: Find the sum or

difference, then simplify.

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Simplify.

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

Simplify.

COMPLEX FRACTIONS

Example: SIMPLIFY.

is the ratio of two or more

rational expressions.
To simplify complex fraction,
locate the main division bar
and treat the problem as a
division problem.

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

SUMMARY
In this section, we learned
How to simplify a rational expressions;
How to simplify and divide rational expressions;
How to add and subtract rational expressions;
That we should not divide by zero;
That we should not cancel terms;
That factoring a -1 is sometimes needed to
simplify a rational expression; and
That in simplifying complex fractions, we should
identify the main division bar and consider the
problem as a division problem.
RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS

RATIONAL EXPRESSIONS