HNC Building Services Engineering

AM1S40 Engineering Mathematics 1

Session 4
Algebraic Fractions and
Equations
 Today’s content

• Review last week

• Algebraic fractions
• Transposition of simple formulae and equation
 Last Week’s Session
• Algebra:
• Expressions
• Expanding brackets
• Factorisation
• Quadratic expressions
 Simplifying Expressions
• Last week we saw that an expression is a
combination of number sna d letters that
represent numbers which we don’t yet know

• As an example, we simplified the expression:

(3𝑥)2 +4𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 − 2𝑥
= 9𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 2 + 4𝑥
= 13𝑥 2 + 4𝑥

• We noted that (3𝑥)2 = 32 × 𝑥 2

whereas 4𝑥 2 = 4 × 𝑥 2
 Multiplying Brackets
• We saw how to multiple two brackets and
simplify the result

2𝑥 + 5 𝑥 + 2

= 2𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 + 5𝑥 + 10

= 2𝑥 2 + 9𝑥 + 10
 Quadratic Expressions
𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝟗𝒙 + 𝟏𝟎
Is an example of a quadratic expression – an
expression in which the highest power of 𝑥 is
𝑥 2.

𝟐𝑥 2 + 𝟗𝑥 + 𝟏𝟎

2 constant
𝑥 coefficient
𝑥 coefficient
 Factorisation
• We then looked at the reverse of multiplying
brackets: splitting an expression into two factors
• This is a key step in being able to solve equations
– we will do more on this today.
• For a quadratic expression, if the 𝑥 2 coefficient is
1 we can assume factors of the form:
𝑥+𝑎 𝑥+𝑏
Then 𝑎 + 𝑏 = the 𝑥 coefficient
and 𝑎𝑏 = the constant
 Reminder

• Try factorising the following quadratic

expression:
𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 6
 Factorising Quadratics
• If the 𝑥 2 coefficient is 2 (e.g. 2𝑥 2 + 9𝑥 + 10),
the factors will be in the form (2𝑥 + 𝑎) and
(𝑥 + 𝑏).
• If the 𝑥 2 coefficient is 3 (e.g. 3𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 8),
the factors will be in the form (3𝑥 + 𝑎) and
(𝑥 + 𝑏).
• If the 𝑥 2 coefficient is more then 3 (e.g. 6𝑥 2 +
14𝑥 + 4), the also need to consider all the
possible factors of the 𝑥 2 coefficient
 Practice

• Any problems with the exercise sheets from

last week (Tutorial 3)?
 Today’s content

• Review last week

• Algebraic fractions
• Transposition of simple formulae and equation
 Algebraic Fractions
• When we simplified a normal fraction (one
with no symbols, just numbers) we looked for
numbers that would divide into both the
numerator and the denominator.
3
• With 3 will divide into both numbers, so if
,
6
we divide both the top and the bottom by 3
1
we simplify the fraction to
2
 Algebraic Fractions
• We use the same approach with algebraic
fractions.
2𝑥
• E.g. with , 𝑥 will divide into the top and the
3𝑥
2
bottom, so we can divide by 𝑥, giving
3
• We sometimes call this process cancelling and
can show it by crossing out equal factors on the
top and bottom, e.g.
𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 𝑥 + 2
=
3𝑥 3
 Algebraic Fractions
• We use the same approach with algebraic
fractions.
2𝑥
• E.g. with 𝑥 will divide into the top and the
3𝑥
2
bottom, so we can divide by 𝑥, giving
3
• We sometimes call this process cancelling and
can show it by crossing out equal factors on the
top and bottom, e.g.
𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 𝑥 + 2
=
3𝑥 3
 Algebraic Fractions
• Before you cancel any factors, be careful to
ensure that they really are factors.
𝑥2+ 4
• For example, in , 𝑥 appears in both the
2𝑥
numerator and the denominator, but it is not
a factor of both (it does not appear in all
elements of the numerator), so we cannot
cancel the fraction.
 Multiplication and Division
• Multiplying and dividing algebraic fractions is
the same as with arithmetic fractions.
• In fact, when we looked at how to multiply
and divide fractions, we used algebra to
demonstrate the methods:
𝑎 𝑐 𝑎×𝑐
× =
𝑏 𝑑 𝑏×𝑑
𝑎 𝑐 𝑎 𝑑 𝑎×𝑑
And ÷ = × =
𝑏 𝑑 𝑏 𝑐 𝑏×𝑐
 Multiplication and Division
• Try these:
𝑥 2𝑥+1
a) × =
𝑥+2 𝑥+3
𝑥 𝑥
b) × =
𝑥2 𝑥+3
𝑥 𝑥−1
c) ÷ =
𝑥−3 𝑥+1
𝑥+2 𝑥+2
d) ÷ =
𝑥 2 −5𝑥 𝑥
 Adding and Subtracting
• Again, the same processes as with arithmetic fractions.
In both cases we need to get the denominators to be
the same if we are to be able to add or subtract
algebraic fractions.
𝑥 2𝑥 + 3 3𝑥 + 3
+ =
𝑥+1 𝑥+1 𝑥+1
• How could we simplify that answer?
• Factorise the numerator:
3𝑥 + 3 3(𝑥 + 1)
=
𝑥+1 𝑥+1
• Then cancel:
3(𝑥 + 1)
=3
𝑥+1
 Adding and Subtracting
• If the denominators are not the same, we
need to find a common denominator – ideally
the lowest common denominator.
• Try these:
𝑥+1 2𝑥+1 1 4
a) + = b) + =
2 3 𝑥 𝑥2

3 2 4 1 2
c) − = d) + − =
𝑎+1 𝑎+2 𝑏 𝑏2 𝑏3
Break
 Today’s content

• Review last week

• Algebraic fractions
• Transposition of simple formulae and equation
 Equations
• An equation is when two expressions are
equal to each other.
• A very simple example:
𝑥+1=5
We can solve this easily in our heads to find a
value of 𝑥 for which the equation is true (𝑥 = 4)
 Equations
• We use algebraic equations all the time, e.g.
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅
If we know that a current of 20Amps flows through
a resistance of 115 Ohms, we can calculate that the
voltage across the resistor,
𝑉 = 20 × 115 = 230V

• Equations like 𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 are known as formulae

• A formula is a type of equation where different
quantities are related to each other and we need
to substitute in values in order to find the result
 Transposition
• If we knew the current and the voltage, we would
need to turn the equation round (or transpose it)
to make the resistance the subject of the equation
and be able to evaluate the resistance
𝑉
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 → 𝑅 =
𝐼
• If 𝑉 = 30V and 𝐼 = 2mA,
30
𝑅= −3
= 15000Ω
2 × 10
 Transposition
• Transposing equations is a key skill and if it
does not come naturally to you, you need to
practice.
• There are tricks that can help, such as putting
the elements into a triangle
V
I R
• It can also help to break it down into steps,
moving one element at a time
 Transposition
• When transposing, at each step we must make
sure we do exactly the same thing to both
sides of the equation.
• We can:
– Add or subtract the same quantity to both sides
– Multiply or divide both sides by the same quantity
– Take the same function (e.g. square root,
reciprocal) of both sides
 Transposition
𝑉
• When we changed 𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 to get 𝑅 = what
𝐼
we actually did was to divide both sides by 𝐼
𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅
𝑉 𝐼𝑅
Divide by 𝐼 → =
𝐼 𝐼
Cancel the 𝐼s on the right hand side →
𝑉
=𝑅
𝐼
 Transposition
• Transpose the following equations to make
𝑦 the subject (i.e. y = …)
a) 𝑥 = 𝑦 + 7
𝑦
b) 𝑥 =
4
2𝑦
c) =𝑥+4
3
3
d) 𝑥 = + 5𝑦
 Review
• Algebraic fractions
• Transposition of simple formulae and equation
 Next session
• Linear equations
• Simultaneous linear equations
• Quadratic equations