Rational Expression

Rational Expression

Rational expressions are fractions that have a polynomial in the numerator, denominator, or both. Although rational expressions can seem complicated because they contain variables, they can be simplified using the techniques used to simplify expressions such as ${\frac {4x^{3}}{12x^{2}}}$ combined with techniques for factoring polynomials.

Simplifying Rational Expression

To simplify a rational expression, follow these steps:

• Determine the domain. The excluded values are those values for the variable that result in the expression having a denominator of 0.
• Factor the numerator and denominator.
• Find common factors for the numerator and denominator and simplify.

Resources

• Identify and Simplify Rational Expressions, Lumen Learning
• Simplifying Rational Expressions, The Organic Chemistry Tutor