Name Class Date

9.3 Solving Rational Equations

Essential Question: What methods are there for solving rational equations?
COMMON
CORE A-REI.A.2 Solve simple rational and radical equations in one variable, and give examples showing
how extraneous solutions may arise. Also A-CED.A.1, A-CED.A.3, A-REI.A.1 Resource
Locker
Explore Solving Rational Equations Graphically
A rational equation is an equation that contains one or more rational expressions. The
time t in hours it takes to travel d miles can be determined by using the equation t = _d
r ,
where r is the average rate of speed. This equation is an example of a rational equation.
One method to solving rational equations is by graphing.

Solve the rational equation _x = 2 by graphing.

x- 3

 First, identify any excluded values. B So, 3 is an excluded value of the

A number is an excluded value of a rational equation. Rewrite the
rational expression if substituting the equation with 0 on one side.
number into the expression results in _x =2
a division by 0, which is undefined. x- 3
Solve x - 3 = 0 for x.
=0
x- 3=0

x=

 Graph the left side of the equation  Use the table to graph the
as a function. Substitute y for 0 and function.
complete the table below.
y
8
x y (x, y)
4
0
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x
1
-8 -4 0 4 8
2
-4
4
5 -8

 Identify any x-intercepts of the graph.  Is the value of x an excluded

value? What is the solution
There is an x-intercept at . of _ x = 2?
x- 3

Module 9 453 Lesson 3

 Reflect

1. Discussion Why does rewriting a rational equation with 0 on one side help with
solving the equation?

Explain 1 Solving Rational Equations Algebraically

Rational equations can be solved algebraically by multiplying through by the LCD and solving
the resulting polynomial equation. However, this eliminates the information about the excluded
values of the original equation. Sometimes an excluded value of the original equation is a solution
of the polynomial equation, and in this case the excluded value will be an extraneous solution
of the polynomial equation. Extraneous solutions are not solutions of an equation.

Example 1 Solve each rational equation algebraically.

3x + 7
_ 5x + 17
 =_
x- 5 2x - 10
Identify any excluded values.

x- 5=0 2x - 10 = 0
x=5 x=5

The excluded value is 5.

Identify the LCD by finding all factors of the denominators.

2x - 10 = 2(x - 5)

The different factors are 2 and x - 5.

The LCD is 2(x - 5).

3x + 7 5x + 17

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Multiply each term by the LCD. _ · 2(x - 5) = _ ∙ 2(x - 5)
x- 5 2(x - 5)
3x + 7
_ 5x + 17
Divide out common factors. ∙ 2 (x - 5) = _ ∙ 2 (x - 5)
x- 5 2 (x - 5)
Simplify. (3x + 7)2 = 5x + 17

Use the Distributive Property. 6x + 14 = 5x + 17

Solve for x. x + 14 = 17

x=3

The solution x = 3 is not an excluded value. So, x = 3 is the solution of the equation.

Module 9 454 Lesson 3

 2x - 9 ​ + _
​  x ​ = _
​  5  ​
B ​ _x-7 2 x-7
Identify any excluded values.

x- 7=0

x=

The excluded value is       .

Identify the LCD.

The different factors are          .

The LCD is       .

2x - 9 ​ ∙
Multiply each term by the LCD. ​ _ ​  x ​ ∙
+_ ​  5  ​ ∙
=_
x-7 2 x-7
2x - 9 ​ ∙
Divide out common factors. ​ _ ​  x ​ ∙
+_ ​  5  ​ ∙
=_
x-7 2 x-7

Simplify. (​ 2x - 9)​+ x​ ( )​ = 5​( )​

Use the Distributive Property. + ​x2​ ​ - 7x =

Write in standard form. =0

Factor. ​ ( )​ ​( )​ = 0
Use the Zero Product Property. x - 7 = 0 or =0

Solve for x. x = 7 or x =

The solution x = is extraneous because it is an excluded value. The only solution is x = .

Your Turn

Solve each rational equation algebraically.

x+ 1
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2. ​​  8  ​ = ​  _ ​
_
x+3 x+6

Module 9 455 Lesson 3

 Explain 2 Solving a Real-world Problem with a Rational Equation
Rational equations are used to model real-world situations. These equations can be solved algebraically.

Example 2 Use a rational equation to solve the problem.

 Kelsey is kayaking on a river. She travels 5 miles upstream

and 5 miles downstream in a total of 6 hours. In still water,
Kelsey can travel at an average speed of 3 miles per hour.
What is the average speed of the river’s current?

Analyze Information
Identify the important information:
• The answer will be the average speed

of .

• Kelsey spends kayaking.

• She travels upstream and downstream.

• Her average speed in still water is .

• Formulate a Plan
Let c represent the speed of the current in miles per hour. When Kelsey is going

upstream, her speed is equal to her speed in still water c. When Kelsey is

going downstream, her speed is equal to her speed in still water c.

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The variable c is restricted to .

Complete the table.

Distance (mi) Average speed (mi/h) Time (h)

Upstream 5

Downstream 5

Use the results from the table to write an equation.

total time = time upstream + time downstream
6 = +
Michael/Corbis

Module 9 456 Lesson 3

 Solve
3-c=0 3+c=0

=c c=

Excluded values:
LCD:

Multiply by the LCD. 6∙ =_5 ∙ +_5 ∙

3-c 3+c
Divide out common 6∙ =_5 ∙ +_5 ∙
3-c 3+c
factors.

Simplify. 6∙ =5∙ +5∙

Use the Distributive = 15 + 5c +

Property.
Write in standard form. 0=

Factor. 0 = 6 (c + 2) ( )
Use the Zero Product c + 2 = 0 or =0
Property.
Solve for c. c= or c =

There extraneous solutions. The solutions are .

Justify and Evaluate

The solution c = is unreasonable because the speed of the current cannot

be but the solution c = is reasonable because the speed of the
current can be . If the speed of the current is , it
would take Kelsey hour(s) to go upstream and hour(s) to go
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downstream, which is a total of hours.

Reflect

3. Why does the domain of the variable have to be restricted in real-world problems that can be modeled with
a rational equation?

Module 9 457 Lesson 3

 Your Turn

4. Kevin can clean a large aquarium tank in about

7 hours. When Kevin and Lara work together,
they can clean the tank in 4 hours. Write and
solve a rational equation to determine how long,
to the nearest tenth of an hour, it would take
Lara to clean the tank if she works by herself.
Explain whether the answer is reasonable.

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Elaborate
5. Why is it important to check solutions to rational equations?

6. Why can extraneous solutions to rational equations exist?

Phototravel/Corbis

7. Essential Question Check In How can you solve a rational equation without graphing?

Module 9 458 Lesson 3

 Evaluate: Homework and Practice
• Online Homework
Solve each rational equation by graphing using a table of values. • Hints and Help
• Extra Practice
x
_____
1. x+4
= -3
y
x y (x, y) 8
-8
4
-6
x
-5 0
-8 -4 4 8
-3.5 -4
-2
-8
0

2. _ x =3
2x - 10 y
x y (x, y) 8
0
4
3
x
4 0
-8 -4 4 8
5.5 -4
7
-8
10

Solve each rational equation algebraically.

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3. _ 9 -_ 5 = -_ 13 4. _3 +_
2 =2
4x 6 12x x+1 7

Module 9 459 Lesson 3

5. __
​     56  ​ − _ ​  7  ​
​  6  ​ = _
​x 2​ ​ − 2x − 15 x+3 x−5

​x ​ ​ − 29  ​ = _
2
6. ​  __
   ​  6  ​ + _
​  5  ​
​x 2​ ​ − 10x + 21 x−7 x−3

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Module 9 460 Lesson 3

 7. ​  5  ​ − _
_ ​  1 ​ = _
​  2  ​
2x + 6 6 x+4

x+6
8. ​  2 5
_ ​  1  ​ = ​  _ ​
 ​ − _
​x ​ ​ − 3x + 2 x−2 3x − 3
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Module 9 461 Lesson 3

For 15 and 16, write a rational equation for each real-world
application. Do not solve.

9. A save percentage in lacrosse is found by dividing the number of saves

by the number of shots faced. A lacrosse goalie saved 9 of 12 shots. How
many additional consecutive saves s must the goalie make to raise his
save percentage to 0.850?

10. Jake can mulch a garden in 30 minutes. Together, Jake and Ross can
mulch the same garden in 16 minutes. How much time t, in minutes, will
it take Ross to mulch the garden when working alone?

11. Geometry A new ice skating rink will be approximately rectangular in shape and
will have an area of 18,000 square feet. Using an equation for the perimeter P, of the
skating rink in terms of its width W, what are the dimensions of the skating rink if
the perimeter is 580 feet?

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Photo/Corbis

12. Water flowing through both a small pipe and a large pipe can fill a water tank in
9 hours. Water flowing through the large pipe alone can fill the tank in 17 hours.
Write an equation that can be used to find the amount of time t, in hours, it would
take to fill the tank using only the small pipe.

Module 9 462 Lesson 3

 13. A riverboat travels at an average of 14 km per hour in still
water. The riverboat travels 110 km east up the Ohio River and
110 km west down the same river in a total of 17.5 hours. To
the nearest tenth of a kilometer per hour, what was the speed of
the current of the river?
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14. A baseball player’s batting average is equal to the number of hits divided by the
number of at bats. A professional player had 139 hits in 515 at bats in 2012 and
167 hits in 584 at bats in 2013. Write and solve an equation to find how many
additional consecutive hits h the batter would have needed to raise his batting average
in 2012 to be at least equal to his average in 2013.
Baker/GhostWorx Images/Alamy

Module 9 463 Lesson 3

15. The time required to deliver and install a computer network at a customer’s location
​ 2d
is t = 5 + __ r ​, where t is time in hours, d is the distance (in miles) from the warehouse
to the customer’s location, and r is the average speed of the delivery truck. If it takes
8.2 hours for an employee to deliver and install a network for a customer located
80 miles from the warehouse, what is the average speed of the delivery truck?

16. Art A glassblower can produce several sets of simple glasses in about
3 hours. When the glassblower works with an apprentice, the job takes about
2 hours. How long would it take the apprentice to make the same number of
sets of glasses when working alone?

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17. Which of the following equations have at least two excluded values? Select
all that apply.
A. ​ _ 3 ​ + _ 1
x ​  5x ​ = 1

B. _ x - 4 ​ + _
​ ​  3x ​ = _ ​  5 ​
x-2 6
C. ​ _ x  ​ + 1 = _ ​  5  ​
x-6 2x - 12
D. ​  __   2x - 3  ​ + _ ​  3 ​ = _
​  1  ​
​x ​ ​ - 10x + 25
2 7 x-5
E. ​ _ 7  ​ + ​  _ 3x - 4  ​ = 9
Getty Images

x+2 ​x 2​ ​+ 5x + 6

Module 9 464 Lesson 3

 H.O.T. Focus on Higher Order Thinking

18. Critical Thinking An equation has the form __

​ ax ​+ __
​  bx ​= c, where a, b, and c are
constants and b ≠ 0. How many solutions could this equation have? Explain.

19. Multiple Representations Write an equation whose graph is a straight line, but
with an open circle at x = 4.

20. Justify Reasoning Explain why the excluded values do not change when
multiplying by the LCD to add or subtract rational expressions.

21. Critical Thinking Describe how you would find the inverse of the rational function
x - 1  ​, x ≠ 2. Then find the inverse.
ƒ​(x)​= ​  _
x-2
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Module 9 465 Lesson 3

Lesson Performance Task
Kasey creates comedy sketch videos and posts them on a popular video website and is selling
an exclusive series of sketches on DVD. The total cost to make the series of sketches is $989.
The materials cost $1.40 per DVD and the shipping costs $2.00 per DVD. Kasey plans to sell
the DVDs for $12 each.

a. Let d be the number of DVDs Kasey sells. Create a profit-per-

item model from the given information by writing a rule for
C​(d)​, the total costs in dollars, S​(d)​, the total sales income in
dollars, P​(d)​, the profit in dollars, and P ​ ​PI(​​ d)​, the profit per
item sold in dollars.

b. What is the profit per DVD if Kasey sells 80 DVDs? Does this
value make sense in the context of the problem?

Then use the function P

c.  ​ ​​(d)​from part a to find how many
​ PI
DVDs Kasey would have to sell to break even. Identify all
excluded values.

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Module 9 466 Lesson 3