Senior High School

General Mathematics
First Quarter – Week 3
Intercepts, Zeroes and Asymptotes of a Rational Function

Determines the: (a) intercepts; (b) zeroes; and

(c) asymptotes of rational functions
(M11GM-Ic-1)

Writer
Reynaldo L. Alzate

Illustrator
Seargeant B. Papango

Validator
Juanito B. Costales, Ed.D.
Rommel Mar C. de Guzman, Ed.D.

Supplementary Learning Material (SLeM)

HOW TO USE THIS SUPPLEMENTARY LEARNING MATERIAL (SLeM)
Before you start answering the SLeM, I want you to set aside other tasks that will disturb
you while enjoying the lessons. Read carefully the instructions below to successfully enjoy
the objectives of this kit. Have fun!

1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every part of this
SLeM.
2. Write on your notebook the concepts about the lessons. Keep in mind that
Writing develops and enhances learning,
3. Perform all the provided activities in the SLeM.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers.
5. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!

PARTS OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY LEARNING MATERIAL (SLeM)

1. Expectations- This will provide what you will be able to know after completing the
lessons in the SLeM.

2. Pre-test – This will assess your prior knowledge and the concepts to be mastered
throughout the lesson.

3. Looking Back – This section will measure the skills that you learned understand
from the previous lesson.

4. Brief Introduction – This section will give you an overview of the lesson.

5. Activities – These are activities designed to develop your critical thinking and
other competencies that you need to master. This can be done solely or with your
partner depending on the nature of the activity.

6. Remember – This section summarizes the concepts and applications of the

lessons.

7. Checking your Understanding – This will verify how you learned from the
lesson.

8. Post-test– This will measure how much you have learned from the entire SLeM.

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LESSON 6: INTERCEPTS, ZEROES AND ASYMPTOTES OF A RATIONAL
FUNCTION

Expectations: This Supplementary Learning Material will help you to

 Find the intercepts of a rational function

 Give the zeroes of a rational function
 Determine the asymptotes of a rational function

Pre-test:
Directions: Do as instructed.

1. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

A. X- and y- intercepts do not exist C. X- int = 3 and y- int does not exist
B. X- int = 3 and y- int = 0 D. X- int does not exist and y- int = 0

2. What is the zero of the function, ( ) ?

A. 0 C. 2
B. 1 D. 3

3. What is the vertical asymptote of the function, ( ) ?

A. C.
B. D. does not exist

4. What is the horizontal asymptote of the function in no. 3?

A. C.
B. D. does not exist

5. Can we identify the zero of a function by way of computing the x- intercept?

A. yes C. yes, if y- intercept is given
B. no, because it does not exist D. no, it should be asymptotes

Looking Back

X- intercept is the value of where the graph of a function intersects the x-axis,
while y- intercept is the value of where the graph of a function intersects the y-axis.

Zero of a function is the value of x where the function is zero. The number of zeroes
in a polynomial is the same with the degree of that polynomial.

The asymptotes are lines that the graph of a function is approaching but will never
reach. These are limits which bound the function.

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 Brief Introduction
The better way to figure out the graph of the function is to understand its
characteristic. Let us study some of these characteristics.

I. Intercepts of a Rational Function

The intercepts that we are looking for are the x- and y- intercepts. Remember these
simple concepts:

1. Simplify the rational expression.

2. Let ( ).
3. To find x- intercept: set and solve for .
4. To find y- intercept: set and solve for .

Example 1. Give the intercepts of ( ) .

Solution:
x- intercept: Since ( ) then . By cross-multiplication, .
That will give us , but that is not true, 0 will never equal to 1, ( ). So, what does it
mean? It means that x- intercept does not exist in this function.

y- intercept: We set , that is ( ) , but 0 is not permitted in the

denominator because it is undefined. It means, y- intercept does not exist in this function.

To better understand, let us look at the graph of this function:

We see that the graph does

not touch and will never
touch the y- axis, because
this y-axis or 𝑥 in its 𝑦
equation is the vertical
asymptote of this function. Likewise, in this part, it does not touch
This shows that y- intercept and will never touch the x- axis or the
does not exist. 𝑦 . This also shows that x- intercept
𝑥 does not exist.

Example 2. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

Solution:
x- intercept: (set ). . By cross-multiplication, . Then,
, but . Therefore, x- intercept does not exist. Or simply put, x- int dne.

y- intercept: (set ). ( ) ( ) . y- int dne.

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Example 3. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

Solution: x- int: ( ) (multiply x to both

sides)
( ) .

Transpose -5 to the
Divide both sides by 3.
left side.

y- int: ( ) . Since we see again

the zero denominator, then y- int does not exist.

Therefore, our final answer is x- int = and y- int dne.

Example 4. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

Solution: x- int y- int

( ) ( )

Set 𝑦 Set 𝑥
( )

( ) Cross-multiply

x- int = y- int = 3

Example 5. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

Solution: This example seems the same with Example 4. If we use the same solution,
we will make a mistake. Why? Because if you take notice of the denominator, it can be
factored to ( )( ) in which we can cancel the numerator to this one of the factors.
This is what the concept 1 is necessary, simplify the rational expression first.

x- intercept:

If we do not simplify, (Incorrect solution) If we simplify, (Correct solution)

( ) ( )

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 ( )
( )( )

( ) ( )

Cross-multiply

but

Therefore, x- intercept does not exist. Y- intercept is 1 (Continue the solution).

II. Zeroes of a Rational Function

Finding zeroes of a rational function is like finding the x- intercepts. You just need to
set ( ) equal to zero but remember to simplify the rational expression first. Zeroes of a
rational function are the values of where or ( ) is equal to zero. So, all the x- intercepts
in our examples above are the zeroes of those functions. In examples 1, 2 and 5, the zeroes
do not exist or in other words, there are no zeroes.

Example 6. Find the zeroes of ( ) .

Solution: Our first step is to see whether the function is already in simplest form. To do
so, we need to factor the numerator and the denominator (if they are factorable). If we can
see the common factor, cancel them out.

( )( )
( )
( )( )

Factor Cancel out the Equate to 0 then Transpose

common factor cross multiply

Example 7. Find the zeroes of ( ) .

Solution:

( )

( )( ) Simplify by way of factoring, then cancel out the common

( )
( ) factor between numerator and the denominator.

( )

Set 𝑓(𝑥) to 0 then cross-multiply.

The zero of 𝑓(𝑥) lies in this value of 𝑥.

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III. Asymptotes of a Rational Function

Asymptote is a line that a curve is approaching to but will never touch it.
There are two kinds of asymptotes: the vertical and the horizonal asymptotes. Due to time
constraint, we are going to study how to get the asymptotes of one example of rational
function only and this is in this form, ( ) where and .
From this form, remember the following formula:

Horizontal asymptote (HA): . Vertical asymptote (VA):

Example 8. Find the asymptotes of ( ) .

Solution: Since and , it satisfies the form and condition that,

( ) where and .

Therefore, HA: and VA: .

Example 9. Find the asymptotes of ( ) .

Solution: By following the formula,

HA: and VA: ( ) .

Activities
Do as instructed.

1. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

2. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .
3. Find the zeroes of ( ) .
4. Find the asymptotes of ( ) .
5. Give the intercepts, zeroes, and asymptotes of ( ) .

Remember
1. To find the intercepts of a rational function, you need to simplify the rational
expression first, then set equal to zero to solve for x- intercept and set equal to
zero to solve for y- intercept.
2. You can also find the zero of a rational function by following the solution in solving
the x- intercept of that function.

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 3. We have a formula to find the vertical and horizontal asymptotes of a rational function
in the form, ( ) where and , and that is,
and respectively.
Checking your Understanding

Do as instructed.

1. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

2. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .
3. Find the zeroes of ( ) .
4. Find the asymptotes of ( ) .
5. Give the intercepts, zeroes, and asymptotes of ( ) .

Post-test
Directions: Do as instructed.

1. Give the x- and y- intercepts of ( ) .

A. X- and y- intercepts do not exist C. X- int = 3 and y- int does not exist
B. X- int = 3 and y- int = 0 D. X- int does not exist and y- int = 0

2. What is the zero of the function, ( ) ?

A. 0 C. 2
B. 1 D. 3

3. What is the vertical asymptote of the function, ( ) ?

A. C.
B. D. does not exist

4. What is the horizontal asymptote of the function in no. 3?

A. C.
B. D. does not exist

5. Can we identify the zero of a function by way of computing the x- intercept?

A. yes C. yes, if y- intercept is given
B. no, because it does not exist D. no, it should be asymptotes

References:
Internet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58dVDrrvTCw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIhNd1J7kCk&t=1s
e-Book:
Most Essential Learning Competencies School Year 2020-2021, Department of Education

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