Maths

4A

Chapter 5.6 Rational Function

Prepared by Mr. Jimmy Tse

Stewards Pooi Kei College

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9.1 Least Common Multiple (L.C.M.)

Consider the multiples of 4 and 10.
Multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, …
Multiples of 10: 10, 20, 30, 40, …
It is because 20, 40, …are the common multiples of 4 and 10 and 20 is the smallest. We call 20 is the
least common multiple of 4 and 10.

Example 9.1
Find the L.C.M. of 42 and 48. 42 2x3x7
=

42
42 = 7x6 = 7x3X2

48 = 8x6 =
23x3x2 2"x3 =
347

L C
.
.
M = 2 * x 3x7 336 =

Example 9.2
Find the L.C.M. of p2qr and p3r 2 .

Follow-up Exercise 2
Find the L.C.M. of the polynomials
(a) 2a2b and ab2 . (b) 3ab3 and 6a2b

2 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 3

9.2 Addition and Subtraction of Rational Functions

Example 9.3
Without using calculator, simplify the following expressions.
1 1 1 1
(a)  (b) 3
 2 3
18 24 9a b 6a b

Example 9.4
Find the sum in each of the following expressions:
1 2 x 2 2
(a)  (b) 
x3 x4 (x  2)(x  3) x  2
=
(3) +E4) (x +2)(x +2) + 2(x 3)
-

x + 4 +2(x 3)
- (2+2)(x 3) -

X
=
(x 3)(x + 4)
x2+2x + 4 + 2x 6
-

x + 2x + 4
-
-

6 (f +2)(x 3) -

=
(x 3)(z + 4)
-

=
-2 + 4x - 2

- 3x-2
(x 3)(x + 4)
- (2+2)(x 3) -

(c)
x
 2
8 6) ans :

(x  1)(x  2) x  4

-
(2 +

x(x 2)
1 x +2)

(x + 1)(x +2)(X
+
+

8(x + 1)
-

2)
g
(x +2)(x 2)
-

S
xz 2x + 8x + 8
-

(x + 1)(X +2)(z2)

I
42+ 64 + 8
(x + 1)(x +2)(x 2) -

(x+ 4)
= I 2
=
( + 1)(x -)

3 
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Follow-up Exercise 4
Find the sum in each of the following expressions:
x 1 x x 1
(a)  (b)  2
x  x 2 x 2
2
(x  2)(x  6) x  4

+
2) E
X +1 + x(x 1) -

=
(x 1)(x +2)
-

X+ 1 + x2 x
=
-

(x 1)(x + 2)
-

x2+ 1
=
(x -
1)(x+2)

Public Examination Questions

1 1
1. [CE 10]
2x 3 2x 3
6 4x
A. 2 . B.
2x 3 2x2 3

6 4x
C. 2
D. .
4x 9 4 x2 9

1 x 1
2. [PP]
2 x (x 2)2

3 1
A. . B.
(2 x)2 (2 x)2

2x 3 2x 3
C. D. .
(2 x)2 (2 x)2

4 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 5

1 1
3. 2 2
[DSE 15]
x 2x 1 x x 2

1 1
A. . B. 2
.
(x 1)(x 2) (x 1) (x 2)

3 2x 1
C. 2
. D. .
(x 1) (x 2) (x 1)2 (x 2)

10 2
4. 2
[CE 03]
x x 6 x 2

2 2
A. . B. .
x 3 x 3

13 2x 16 2 x
C. . D. .
(x 3)(x 2) (x 3)(x 2)

2 x 1
5. 2 2
[CE 99]
x 1 x 2x 3

x 2 2x 5 x 2 2x 7
A. . B. .
(x 1)(x 1)(x 3) (x 1)(x 1)(x 3)

x2 5 x2 5
C. . D. .
(x 3)(x 1)(x 1) (x 3)(x 1)(x 1)

x2 4 x 7
E. .
(x 1)(x 1)(x 3)

5 
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Example 9.5
Find the difference in each of the following expression:
x 2  2x 2 3x 12x  18
(a)  (b)  2
x  2x  2 2x  2  x
2 2
x  3 x  6x  9

Follow up Exercise 5
Find the difference in each of the following expression:
2x 2  x x8 x 3
(a)  (b) 
x x4
2
x  4 x
2
x  2  x  2 2

6 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 7

Example 9.6
a b 4
If   2 , find the values of the constants a and b.
3x  1 x  1 3x  2x  1

Follow-up Exercise 6
A 10 B
If  2  , find the values of the constants A and B.
x  1 3x  x  2 3x  2

7 
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9.3 Multiplication and Division of Rational Functions

Example 9.7
Find the result of each of the following expressions:
x 2  xy xy  y 2 xy
  2 .
x y 2x  y 2x  5xy  2y 2

Example 9.8
Find the result of each of the following expressions:
x 3 x 2  2x  3
 
x 2  4x  5 x 2  1 x5

8 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 9

Follow-up Exercise 8
Find the result of each of the following expressions:
2 x x 2  4x  3 a3 2a  9 1
(a)   (b)  
x2  x  6 x2  9 x 2 4a2  12a  27 1  2a 4a2  1

9 
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9.1 Highest Common Factor (H.C.F.) or

Greatest Common Multiple (g.c.d.) – Part B
Consider the multiples of 4 and 10.
Factor of 4: 1, 2, 4
Factor of 10: 1, 2, 5, 10

It is because 1 and 2 are the common factors of 4 and 10 and 2 is the largest. We call 2 is the H.C.F of 4
and 10.

e.g. Find the H.C.F. of 20 and 90.

Example 9.9
Find the H.C.F. of
(a) a2b and a3b 4 (b) 3x 2  14x  8 and 3x 2  10x  8 .

Follow-up Exercise 9
(a) Factorize 2x 2  x  1 , 2x 2  3x  1 and 3x 2  4x  1 .
(b) Hence, find the H.C.F. of the three polynomial in (a).

10 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 11

Example 9.10
Find the H.C.F. of
(a) x 3  4x 2  4x and x 3  4x . (b) x 3  5x 2  2x  8 and x 3  13x  12 .

Follow-up Exercise 10
Find the H.C.F. of
(a) x 4  x 2 and x 3  2x 2  x . (b) 3x 3  3x 2  6x and 9x 3  27x  18

Follow-up Exercise 11
Let A  x2y  4xy  4y , B  xy 2  2y 2 .
(a) Find the H.C.F. and L.C.M. of A and B.
(b) Find (i) AB
(ii) H.C.F  L.C.M.

11 
12

An important relation between the H.C.F. and L.C.M. of two polynomials,

say P and q, is
H.C.F  L.C.M. =

Discussing Question
The H.C.F. and L.C.M. of three polynomials are 6ab and 36a3b3c 2 respectively. It is given that two of the
polynomials are 6a2bc and 12ab2c 2 , what is the remaining one?

12 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 13

Past Paper Corner

2 a b
1. If   , find a and b. [CE 96 Q8]
x 1 x 1 x 1
2

A. a = 2, b = 1 B. a = 1, b = 2
C. a = 1, b = –1 D. a = –1, b = 1

2 1
2. [DSE 23 Q2]
5 4x 5 4x

5 4x 5 4x
A. . B. .
25 16 x 2 25 16 x 2
5 12 x 5 12 x
C. . D. .
25 16 x 2 25 16 x 2

6 7
3.   [DSE 21 Q4]
n6 n7

n n
A. . B. .
 n  6  n  7   n  6  7  n 
n  84 n  84
C. . D. ..
 n  6  n  7   n  6  7  n 

5 2
4.   [DSE 20 Q3]
4k  3 4k  3

12k  21 12k  9
A. . B. .
16k 2  9 16k 2  9

14k  21 14k  9
C. . D. .
16k 2  9 16k 2  9

1 1
5.   [DSE 18 Q4]
3x  7 3x  7

14 14
A. . B. .
49  9x 2 9 x  49
2

6x 6x
C. . D. .
49  9 x 2 9 x  49
2

13 
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3 2

x y
6. = [CE 04 Q37]
4x 9 y

y x
1 1
A. . B. .
2x  3y 2x  3y

1 1
C. . D. .
2x  3y 2x  3y

2x
7. 1  [CE 02 Q37]
1
x
x
x 3 x2  3
A. B.
x 1 x2 1

x2  1 x2  1
C. D. 
x2 1 x2 1

 y  x
  11 
 x  y 
8. Simplify . [CE 95 Q37]
x y

y x

x y x y
A. B. –
x y x y
x y x y
C. D. –
x y x y
E. 1

9. The H.C.F. of u 2v3 w, u 3vw2 and u 2v3 w4 is [DSE 24 Q31]

A. uvw . B. u 2 vw .

C. u 2 v 3 w4 . D. u 3 v 3 w4 .

10. The L.C.M. of a 4 b2 c, a3b4 c and a 2 b5 c 2 is [DSE 23 Q32]

A. a 2b2 c . B. a 2 b2 c2 .

C. a 4 b5 c . D. a 4 b5 c 2 .

14 
 RATIONAL FUNCTION 15

11. The H.C.F. and the L.C.M. of three expressions are x 2 y 2 z and x3 y 4 z 5 respectively. If the first
expression and the second expression are x3 y 2 z 2 and x3 y3 z 5 respectively, then the third expression
is [DSE 21 Q 31]

↑!
A. x2 y 4 z . B. x2 y 4 z 2 .

C. x3 y 3 z . D. x3 y 2 z 2 .

3ab 22zatbs 3590

small
2 4 3
12. The L.C.M. of 9a b , 12a b and 15a 6 is [DSE 16 Q 31]

A. 3a 2 . B. 3a 2b . index
832225ab
C. 180a 6b3 . D. 180a12b 4 .

13. The H.C.F. of 3x 4 y 2 z , 4xy 5 z and 6x 2 y3 is [DSE 14 Q31]

A. xy 2 . B. xy 2 z .

C. 12x 4 y5 z . D. 12x7 y9 z 2 .

14. The L.C.M. of a 2  4a  4 , a 2  4 and (a  2)(a 2  2a  4) is [DSE 13 Q31]

A. a2 . B.  a  2  a  2   a 2  2a  4  .

O C.  a  2 a  2
2
a 2
 2a  4  . D.  a  2 a  2
4
a 2
 2a  4  .

(a + 2)2

lat2a-2(a2 2a+ 4)

15. The H.C.F. and the L.C.M. of three expressions are ab 2 and 4a 4b5c 6 respectively. If the first
expression and the second expression are 2a 2b 4 c and 4a 4b 2 c 6 respectively, then the third expression
is [DSE 12 Q31]
2 5
A. ab . B. ab .

C. 2ab 2 c . D. 2ab5c .

15 
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Structured Question

2 3
30. Simplify  . [DSE 24 Q1 3M]
4h  7 6h  5

3 2
31. Simplify  . [DSE 22 Q3 3M]
k  9 5k  6

3 2
32. Simplify  . [DSE 19 Q2 3M]
7 x  6 5x  4

2 3
33. Simplify  . [DSE 16 Q3 3M]
4x  5 1  6x

16 
16

Structured Question

2 3
30. Simplify  . [DSE 24 Q1 3M]
4h  7 6h  5

3 2
31. Simplify  . [DSE 22 Q3 3M]
k  9 5k  6

3 2
32. Simplify  . [DSE 19 Q2 3M]
7 x  6 5x  4

2 3
33. Simplify  . [DSE 16 Q3 3M]
4x  5 1  6x

16 
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Structured Question

2 3
30. Simplify  . [DSE 24 Q1 3M]
4h  7 6h  5

3 2
31. Simplify  . [DSE 22 Q3 3M]
k  9 5k  6

3 2
32. Simplify  . [DSE 19 Q2 3M]
7 x  6 5x  4

2 3
33. Simplify  . [DSE 16 Q3 3M]
4x  5 1  6x

16 