11.9. Fractional Equations
11.9.1. Solving a Fractional Equation
An equation in which one or more terms is a fraction is called a fractional equation. To solve a fractional equation, first eliminate the fractions by multiplying both sides of the equation by the least common denominator (LCD) of every term. We can do this because multiplying both sides of an equation by the same quantity (the LCD in this case) does not unbalance the equation. With the fractions thus eliminated, the equation is then solved as any nonfractional equation.
Example 60:Solve for x:
Solution: Multiplying both sides of the equation by the LCD (15), we obtain
Check: We substitute our answer x = 1/2, into our original equation.
|
11.9.2. Solving a Fractional Equation by Calculator
We select solve from the Algebra menu, enter the equation, enter the variable to be solved for, and press 
.
TI-89 calculator solution for Example 60.
Example 61:The calculator screen for Example 60 is shown. |
11.9.3. Equations ...
Get Technical Mathematics, Sixth Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
