document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=138664>Question 138664</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Find the horizontal and vertical asymptotes of <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #101186 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=101186\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given function\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Looking at the numerator <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, we can see that the degree is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > since the highest exponent of the numerator is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >. For the denominator <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B5x-12 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B5x-12\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, we can see that the degree is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > since the highest exponent of the denominator is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<b> Horizontal Asymptote: </b>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Since the degree of the numerator and the denominator are the same, we can find the horizontal asymptote using this procedure:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find the horizontal asymptote, first we need to find the leading coefficients of the numerator and the denominator.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Looking at the numerator <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-9 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-9\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, the leading coefficient is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Looking at the denominator <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B5x-12 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B5x-12\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, the leading coefficient is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the horizontal asymptote is the ratio of the leading coefficients. In other words, simply divide <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=1 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"1\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to get <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%281%29%2F%282%29=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%281%29%2F%282%29=1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So the horizontal asymptote is <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<b> Vertical Asymptote: </b>\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find the vertical asymptote, just set the denominator equal to zero and solve for x\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=2x%5E2%2B5x-12=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"2x%5E2%2B5x-12=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Set the denominator equal to zero\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "      Now let's use the quadratic formula to solve for x. If you need help with the quadratic formula, check out this <a  rel=nofollow HREF=\"http://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/quadratic/quadratic-formula.solver\">solver</a>.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "      \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "      After using the quadratic formula, we get the solutions\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "      <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=3%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=3%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "      So this means the vertical asymptotes are <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=3%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=3%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Notice if we graph <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, we can visually verify our answers:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=drawing%28500%2C500%2C-10%2C10%2C-10%2C10%2C%0D%0Agraph%28500%2C500%2C-10%2C10%2C-10%2C10%2C%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29%2C%0D%0Ablue%28line%28-20%2C1%2F2%2C20%2C1%2F2%29%29%2C%0D%0Agreen%28line%283%2F2%2C-20%2C3%2F2%2C20%29%29%2C%0D%0Agreen%28line%28-4%2C-20%2C-4%2C20%29%29%0D%0A%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Graph of <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=%28x%5E2-9%29%2F%282x%5E2%2B5x-12%29%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >  with the horizontal asymptote <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=1%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=1%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (blue line)  and the vertical asymptotes <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=3%2F2 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=3%2F2\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (green lines) <BR>\n" );
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