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Question 462825: How is doing operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) with rational expressions similar to or different from doing operations with fractions? Can understanding how to work with one kind of problem help understand how to work another type? When might you use this skill in real life?
Answer by katealdridge(100)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! The operations follow the exact same rules, since rational expressions are fractions. You still need common denominators to add and subtract rational expressions just like you do for numerical fractions. You can multiply rational expressions by simply multiplying the numerators together and then multiplying the denominators together. You can divide rational expressions by multiplying the first one by the reciprocal of the second and then following the multiplication rules. You can even cancel common terms from the numerator and denominator like in numerical fractions. If you understand how to manipulate numerical fractions, then you can manipulate rational expressions because they follow the same rules. (Another name for a fraction is a rational number.) First of all, school is real life. You're there aren't you? You might use this skill in "real life" when setting up a proportion and there is an unknown value. Scale drawings, for example.
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