General Mathematics

First Quarter
Module 6: Solving Rational
Equations and Inequalities
General Mathematics
First Quarter
Module 6: Solving Rational
Equations and Inequalities
 Introduction
This module is written in support of the k to 12 Basic
education Program to ensure attainment of standards expected of
you as a learner.
This aims to equip you with essential knowledge in Solving
Rational Equations and Inequalities.
This includes the following activities/tasks:

• Expected Learning Outcome – This lays out the learning

outcome that you are expected to have accomplished at
the end of the module.
• Pre-Test – This determines your prior learning on the
particular lesson you are about to take.
• Discussion of the Lesson – This provides you with the
important knowledge, principles and attitude that will
help you meet the expected learning outcome.
• Learning Activities – These provide you with the
application of the knowledge and principles you have
gained from the lesson and enable you to further enhance
your skills as you carry out prescribed tasks.
• Post-test – This evaluates your overall understanding
about the module.
With the different activities provided in this module, may
you find this material engaging and challenging as it develops
your critical thinking skills.
 What I Need To Know
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• solve rational equations.

• solve rational inequalities.

What I Know
To find out what you already know about the content of this module,
take the Pre-test. Write your answer in your assessment notebook.

Directions: Choose the correct answer of each of the following. Write the
letter of the correct answer on your answer sheet.

1 3
1. Solve the rational equation = .
2𝑥+5 𝑥+5
1
a. 2
b. 2
1
c. - 2
d.-2

2 3 1
2. What is x in + = ?
3𝑥 4 𝑥
9
a. 4
4
b. 9
1
c. - 2
d. 9

2 9
3. Find the value of x in the rational equation = .
𝑥 𝑥−3
7
a. 6
6
b. 7
6
c. - − 7
d. 9

1
 5𝑥
4. Find the solution set of the inequality ˂ 4.
𝑥−1
a. x ˂ -4 or x ˃ 1
b. x ˂ -4 or x ˃ - 1
c. x ˂ -4 or x ˃-1
d. -4 ˂ x ˂ 1

𝑥+1
5. Solve the rational inequality ≤ 2.
𝑥+3
a. (-5, -∞] ∪ (-3, ∞)
b. (5, -∞] ∪ (3, ∞)
c. (∞, -5] ∪ (3, ∞)
d. (−∞, -5] ∪ (-3, ∞)

𝑥 2 +5𝑥−6
6. Solve ≥ 0.
𝑥−3
a. -6 ≤ x ≤ 1 and x > 3
b. -3 ≤ x ≤ 6 and x > 3
c. 6 ≤ x ≤ -1 and x > 3
d. -3 ≤ x ≤ -6 and x > 1

II. Solve the following. (Two points each)

2𝑥−5
1. Solve for x: = 5.
𝑥+2

1 1 1
2. Solve for x: = 3𝑥2 -
6𝑥 2 𝑥

1 𝑥 − 34
3. What is x in =
𝑥 2𝑥 2

𝑥 2 +5𝑥
4. Solve the inequality ≥ 0.
𝑥− 3

4−𝑥
5. Solve > 0.
𝑥+3

2
 What’s In
Directions: Determine whether the given is a rational function, a rational
equation, a rational inequality or none of these.
1. y = 3x3 - 5x - 2

2. √𝑥 + 9 = 3
5𝑥 2 −2√𝑥+1
3. h(x) = 𝑥 2 −1

𝑥+1
4. =2
𝑥−5

𝑥+3
5. 𝑥−2
<3

What’s New
2 3 1
Solve for x: - = 5.
𝑥 2𝑥

Questions:

1. What are the denominators of the given equation?

2. What is the least common denominator or LCD?

3. How will you solve the value of x?

What Is It
To solve rational equations and inequalities, we must follow the steps below.

To solve a rational equation:

(a) Eliminate denominators by multiplying each term of the equation by
the least common denominator.
(b) Note that eliminating denominators may introduce extraneous
solutions. Check the solutions of the transformed equations with the
original equation.

To solve rational inequalities:

(a) Rewrite the inequality as a single rational expression on one side of
the inequality symbol and 0 on the other side
(b) Determine over what intervals the rational expression 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.
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 aforementioned interval.
iv. Summarize the intervals containing the solutions.

Let us discuss the answer of the given equation in What’s New.

2 3 1
Example 1. Solve for x: - =
𝑥 2𝑥 5

Solution. The LCD of all the denominators is 10x. Multiply both sides of the
equation by 10x and solve the resolving equation.

2 3 1
10x (𝑥) – 10x (2𝑥) = 10x (5)

20 – 15 = 2x
5 = 2x Divide both sides by 2 to solve for x.
5
=x
2
1 3
Example 2. Solve for x in = .
2𝑥+ 5 𝑥+5

Solution. Multiply both sides of the equation by the LCD ( 2x + 5 )

( x + 5 ) to remove the denominators.
1 3
(2x + 5)(x + 5)(2𝑥+5) = (2x + 5)(x + 5)(𝑥+5)

x + 5 = 3(2x + 5)
x + 5 = 6x + 15
-5x = 10
x = -2
𝑥 1 8
Example 3. Solve the rational equation - = .
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 𝑥 2 −4

Solution. Factor each denominator in the rational expression.

𝑥 1 8
- = (𝑥+2)(𝑥−2)
𝑥+2 𝑥−2
Multiply the LCD to both sides of the equation to remove the denominators.

Upon reaching this step, we can use strategies for solving polynomial
equations.

Since x = -2 makes the original equation undefined, x = 5 is the only

solution.

Warning! Multiplying both sides of an inequality by a number requires that

the sign (positive or negative) of the number is known. Since the sign of a
variable is unknown, it is not valid to multiply both sides of an inequality by
a variable.

2𝑥
Example 4. Solve the inequality ≥1.
𝑥+1

Solution.
(a) Rewrite the inequality as a single rational expression.

(b) The rational expression will be zero for x = 1 and undefined for
x = –1. The value x = 1 is included while x = –1 is not. Mark these
on the number line. Use a shaded circle for x = 1 (a solution) and
not shaded circle for x = -1 (not a solution).
(c) Choose convenient test points in the intervals determined by –1
𝑥−1
and 1 to determine the sign of 𝑥+1 in these intervals. Construct a
table of signs as shown below.

(d) Since we are looking for the intervals where the rational
expression is positive or zero, we determine the solution to be the
set { x ∈ ℛ / x < -1 or x ≥ 1 } . Plot this set on the
number line.

3 1
Example 5. Solve the inequality <
𝑥−2 𝑥

(a) Rewrite the inequality with zero on one side.

(b) The rational expression will be zero for x = –1 and undefined for 0
and 2. Plot these points on a number line. Use hollow circles since
these values are not part of the solution.

(c) Construct a table of signs to determine the sign of the function in

each interval determined by –1, 0, and 2.
(d) Summarize the intervals satisfying the inequality. The solution set of
the inequality is the Set { x ∈ ℛ / x < -1 or 0 < x < 2 }. Plot this set on
the number line.

What’s More

Directions. Write your solutions in your notebook.

2𝑥−1
1. Solve for x : = 1.
𝑥+3

𝑥+1
2. Solve the inequality ≤2
𝑥+3
 What I Have Learned

I learned that….

to solve rational equation in the form of a proportion, we find first the

least common multiple of the denominator and multiply it with both
sides of the equation then simplify the equation to find the value of
the variable.

to solve rational inequality we need to rewrite the inequality as a

single fraction on one side and zero on the other side.

What I Can Do
Write your solutions in your notebook.

2𝑥 5
1. What is x in + = 2?
𝑥+1 2𝑥

𝑥 2 −3𝑥−4
2. Solve the rational inequality < 0.
𝑥 2 −8𝑥+16
 Assessment

Directions: Choose the correct answer of each of the following. Write the
letter of the correct answer in your notebook..

Use the given equation below to answer questions 1- 3.

2𝑥 − 1
=5
𝑥+3

1. What expression should be multiplied to the equation above to solve

It?
a. 2𝑥 − 1
b. 𝑥 + 3
c. 𝑥 − 3
d. 2𝑥 + 1

2. What do you call the expression that is multiplied to the given

equation above?
a. LCD
b. LCM
c. GCF
d. GCM

3. What is x?
11
a. − 3
16
b. − 3
14
c. − 3
17
d. − 3

Use the given inequality below to answer questions 4-7.

𝑥−1
<0
𝑥+3

4. Which values of x could be used as the boundary in the number line?

a. 4
b. – 3
c. 1
d. both b and c
5. The following are the intervals that will be formed in the solving the
inequality above EXCEPT
a. 𝑥 > −3
b. 𝑥 > 1
c. 𝑥 < −3
d. −3 < 𝑥 < 1

6. What is the final sign of the inequality if the test value used is 𝑥 = 2?
a. positive
b. negative
c. both a and b
d. none of these

7. What is the solution set in the problem above?

a. 𝑥 > −3
b. . 𝑥 > 1
c. 𝑥 < −3
d. −3 < 𝑥 < 1
9
8. Solve for x in 2x - =x
𝑥
a. 3
b. -3
c. ∓ 3
d. 9

𝑥 5
9. What is x in = ?
3 6
a. 5/2
b. -5/2
c. −8
d. 9

20 20 4
10. Solve for x : - =
𝑥 𝑥−2 𝑥
a. 5/2
b. -5/2
c. −8
d. 9

For items number 11 to 13 show your solution. The solution is also given
one point.

𝑥−3
11. What is x in 𝑥+2 > 0?
a. x < -2 or x > 3
b. x < -3 or x > 2
c. x < -2 or x > -3
d. x > -2 or x < 3
 2𝑥
12. Find the solution set of < 1.
𝑥+3
a. (-3, -∞] ∪ (3, ∞)
b. (-2, -∞] ∪ (3, ∞)
c. (3 , 3)
d. (−∞, -5] ∪ (-3, ∞)

2 3 1
13. Solve the rational equation below: + = 𝑥.
3𝑥 4
a. 4
b. 9
c. -5
d. 4/9
 References

Government of the Philippines. Department of Education. Solving

Rational Equations and Inequalities. First Edition 2016.

Prepared by:

Roger S. Maglangit
Teacher II
EVNHS