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Technical Mathematics, Sixth Edition
book

Technical Mathematics, Sixth Edition

by Paul A. Calter, Michael A. Calter Ph.D.
March 2011
Intermediate to advanced
829 pages
25h 44m
English
Wiley
Content preview from Technical Mathematics, Sixth Edition

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 ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9780470534922Purchase book