Multiplication and

Division of Rational
Expressions
Created by: John Albert Buenaventura
Multiplication of Rational Expressions

• To multiply rational expressions is the same way as

fractions(rational numbers), multiply the
numerators to get the numerators of the product
and multiply the denominators to get the
denominator of the product.
𝑎 𝑐 𝑎 × 𝑐 (𝑎)(𝑐) 𝑎𝑐
× = = = , b ≠ 0, 𝑑 ≠ 0
𝑏 𝑑 𝑏 × 𝑑 (𝑏)(𝑑) 𝑏𝑑
 2𝑥 4𝑥
Multiply: ×
5𝑦 7𝑦

2𝑥 4𝑥 (2𝑥)(4𝑥) 8𝑥 2
× = =
5𝑦 7𝑦 (5𝑦)(7𝑦) 35𝑦 2

2𝑥 4𝑥 8𝑥 2
× =
5𝑦 7𝑦 35𝑦 2
 2𝑥 2 5𝑦 2
Multiply: ×
5𝑦 12𝑥𝑦

2𝑥 2 5𝑦 2 (2𝑥 2 )(5𝑦 2 ) 10𝑥 2 𝑦 2

× = =
5𝑦 12𝑥𝑦 (5𝑦)(12𝑥𝑦) 60𝑥𝑦 2

10𝑥 2 𝑦 2 2 5 𝑥 𝑥 (𝑦)(𝑦) 2 5 (𝑥) 𝑥 (𝑦)(𝑦) 𝑥

= = =
60𝑥𝑦 2 (2)(2)(3)(5)(𝑥)(𝑦)(𝑦) (2)(2)(3)(5)(𝑥)(𝑦)(𝑦) 6
2𝑥 2 5𝑦 2 𝑥
× =
5𝑦 12𝑥𝑦 6
 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1 2𝑥 2 +𝑥−1
Multiply: 2 ×
𝑥 −1 𝑥 2 −6𝑥+5
𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 1 2𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 1
2
× 2
𝑥 −1 𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 5
(𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 1) (2𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1)
×
(𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 1) (𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 − 1)

(𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 1)(2𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1) 2𝑥 − 1

= =
(𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 5)(𝑥 − 1) 𝑥−5

𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1 2𝑥 2 +𝑥−1 2𝑥−1

× =
𝑥 2 −1 𝑥 2 −6𝑥+5 𝑥−5
Division of Rational Expression

• To divide rational expression, to find the quotient

multiply the dividend by the reciprocal of the
divisor

𝑎 𝑐 𝑎 𝑑 (𝑎)(𝑑) 𝑎𝑑
• ÷ = × = = , b ≠ 0, 𝑐 ≠ 0
𝑏 𝑑 𝑏 𝑐 (𝑏)(𝑐) 𝑏𝑐
 3 5
Divide: ÷
12𝑚 6𝑚2

3 5 3 6𝑚2 3 (6𝑚2 ) 18𝑚2

÷ = × = =
12𝑚 6𝑚2 12𝑚 5 (12𝑚)(5) 60𝑚

2 3 3 𝑚 (𝑚) 2 3 3 𝑚 (𝑚) 3𝑚 3𝑚
= = = =
(2)(2)(3)(5)(𝑚) (2)(2)(3)(5)(𝑚) (2)(5) 10

3 5 3𝑚
÷ =
12𝑚 6𝑚2 10
 𝑥 2 −6𝑥+8 𝑥 2 −2𝑥
Divide: ÷
𝑦2 𝑦

𝑥 2 −6𝑥+8 𝑥 2 −2𝑥 𝑥 2 −6𝑥+8 𝑦 (𝑥 2 −6𝑥+8)(𝑦)

• 2 ÷ = 2 × 2 = 2 2
𝑦 𝑦 𝑦 𝑥 −2𝑥 (𝑦 )(𝑥 −2𝑥)
(𝑥−4)(𝑥−2)(𝑦) (𝑥−4)(𝑥−2)(𝑦) 𝑥−4
•= = =
𝑦 𝑦 [ 𝑥 𝑥−2 ] 𝑦 𝑦 [(𝑥 𝑥−2 ] 𝑥𝑦

2 2
𝑥 − 6𝑥 + 8 𝑥 − 2𝑥 𝑥 − 4
÷ =
𝑦2 𝑦 𝑥𝑦
 2𝑥+6 𝑥 2 −𝑥−12
Divide and simplify: 2 ÷
𝑥 +3𝑥−10 𝑥 2 −4
2𝑥+6 𝑥 2 −𝑥−12 2𝑥+6 𝑥 2 −4
2 ÷ 2 = 2 × 2
𝑥 +3𝑥−10 𝑥 −4 𝑥 +3𝑥−10 𝑥 −𝑥−12

(2𝑥 + 6)(𝑥 2 − 4) 2(𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 + 2)(𝑥 − 2)

= 2 2
=
(𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 10)(𝑥 − 𝑥 − 12) (𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 4)(𝑥 + 3)

2(𝑥+3)(𝑥+2)(𝑥−2) 2(𝑥+3)(𝑥+2)(𝑥−2) 2(x+2) 2𝑥+4

= = (𝑥+5)(𝑥−2)(𝑥−4)(𝑥+3) = =
(𝑥+5)(𝑥−2)(𝑥−4)(𝑥+3) (𝑥−5)(𝑥−4) 𝑥 2 +𝑥−20