A rational equation is an
equation containing at least
A function f(x) is called a
rational function if and only if it
can be written in the form
()
( ) =
()
where P and
Q are polynomials in x and Q
is not the zero polynomial.
The domain of F is the set of
all points x for which the
denominator Q(x) is not zero.
one fraction whose numerator
and denominator are
()
polynomials, .These
()
fractions may be on one or
both sides of the equation. A
common way to solve these
equations is to reduce the
fractions to a common
denominator, then solve the
equality of the numerators.
 An inequality is a statement
that two quantities are
unequal in one of the five
3+7
ways listed above. A ( ) =
+2
solution of an inequality is a 9
( ) =
description of the set of all 29
3+6
values of the variable for ( ) =
1
which the inequality is true
24
. A rational inequality is in ( ) =
24
inequality in which the two
expressions are rational
expressions. That is,
polynomials or ratios of
polynomials.
 8
8= Solve:
21
1
= 3
+1
2 3 1
=
2 5
12 6
= +3
2
4 4
=
4 4 5
1 4 5
+ =
6 6 6
 Problem Myra takes 2 hours to plant 500
flower bulbs. Francis takes 3 hours
to plant 450 flower bulbs. Working
together, how long should it take
them to plant 1500 bulbs?
Myra: 500 bulbs/2 Think about how many bulbs each
hours = 250 bulbs/hour person can plant in one hour. This is
Solve: their planting rate.
Francis: 450 bulbs/3
hours =
150 bulbs/hour
Myra & Francis Combine their hourly rates to determine
together: the rate they work together.
250 + 150 bulbs/hour =
400 bulbs/hour

Use one of the work formulas to write a

rational equation, for example .

We know r, the combined work rate, and
we know W, the amount of work that
must be done. What we don't know is
how much time it will take to do the
required work at the designated rate.

Solve the equation by multiplying both

sides by the common denominator, then
isolating t.

t = 3 hours

Answer It takes 3 hours 45 minutes for Myra and Francis to plant 1500 bulbs
together.
A large mixing tank currently contains 100 gallons of water
into which 5 pounds of sugar have been mixed. A tap will
open pouring 10 gallons per minute of water into the tank
at the same time sugar is poured into the tank at a rate of 1
pound per minute. Find the concentration (pounds per
gallon) of sugar in the tank after 12 minutes. Is that a
greater concentration than at the beginning?

Let t be the number of minutes since the tap opened.

Since the water increases at 10 gallons per minute,
and the sugar increases at 1 pound per minute, these
are constant rates of change. This tells us the amount
of water in the tank is changing linearly, as is the
amount of sugar in the tank. We can write an equation
independently for each

water: W(t)=100+10t in gallons

sugar: S(t)=5+1t in pounds

The concentration, C, will be the ratio of pounds of

sugar to gallons of water
The concentration after 12 minutes is given by
evaluating
5+
() =
100+10
This means the concentration is 17 pounds of sugar to
220 gallons of water.
At the beginning, the concentration is
17 1
Since 220 0.08 > 20 = 0.05 the concentration is
greater after 12 minutes than at the beginning.