MHF 4U Rational Functions Practice Test

True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
𝑥+ 5
1. The solution to − < 0 is x < −5.
𝑥− 2

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2. The solution to ≤ 5 is 𝑥 ≥ 5 or 𝑥 < −2.
𝑥+ 2

Multiple Choice

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the
question.
1 5
3. Solve the equation = .
𝑥− 4 𝑥
a. x = –1 c. x = –5
b. x = 5 d. no solution
 3 7
4. Solve the equation = .
𝑥− 2 4𝑥 − 8

a. x = 2 c. x = –2
b. x = d. no solution

𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 21
5. What are the x-intercepts of the graph of 𝑓(𝑥 ) = ?
𝑥 2 − 𝑥 − 20
a. –4, 5 c. 4, –5
b. –7, 3 d. 7, –3
 𝑥 2 + 16𝑥 + 𝑘
6. For what values of k does the graph of 𝑦 = have no x-
𝑥 2 + 7𝑥
intercepts?
a. k > 64 b. k < 64
c. k > 4 d. k < 4

7. Which of the following rational equations requires the use of technology

to solve?
1 1 7
a. 2 = 0 b. =
𝑥 𝑥+ 2 𝑥
1 + 𝑥2 5 1 𝑥2
c. = d.− =
𝑥+ 1 𝑥2 𝑥2 − 3 2
8. Which of the following rational inequalities requires the use of
technology to solve?
2𝑥 2 − 9𝑥 + 8 3 − 2𝑥
a. ≤0 b. > −2
𝑥2 − 𝑥− 2 𝑥− 3
8 3𝑥 + 1 𝑥2 − 3
c. 2𝑥 + ≤9 d. ≥
𝑥 𝑥 𝑥+ 1

2𝑥 3 + 2 2𝑥 3 + 2
9. Use the graph of 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 2 to solve the equation = 0.
7𝑥 3 + 11𝑥 7𝑥 3 + 11𝑥 2

a. 𝑥 = −1.5 b. x = – 1
c. x = 0 d. No solution
 𝑥+ 4 𝑥+ 4
10. Use the graph of 𝑓(𝑥 ) = to solve the inequality ≤ 0.
𝑥+ 3 𝑥+ 3

a. x = – 4 b. – 4 < x < 3
b. c. – 4 ≤ 𝑥 < 3 d. No solution

Short Answer

11. Solve.
1 6
a) = −
𝑥− 4 𝑥
 𝑥+ 5 2𝑥 + 7
b) =
𝑥− 3 𝑥

1 1
c) 7 + =
𝑥 𝑥− 2
 3 4
d) =
2𝑥 − 4 𝑥− 2

12. Solve each equation. Express your answers to two decimal places.
3𝑥 1
a) = −
𝑥− 2 𝑥 + 3
 1 1
b) + = −1
𝑥 𝑥− 5

𝑥2 2
c) (𝑥 − 5)3
= −
𝑥− 5
 3𝑥 − 1 𝑥+ 5
d) =
𝑥 𝑥− 3

13. Solve each inequality. Express your answers to one decimal place.
2𝑥 + 1
a) ≤𝑥
𝑥− 3
 𝑥 1
b) − <2
𝑥+ 5 𝑥

3𝑥 2 − 4 1
c) ≥−
𝑥2 − 9 𝑥2
 2𝑥 3𝑥
d) >
𝑥− 3 2𝑥 + 4
Problems

14. A photographer uses a light meter to measure the intensity of light from
a flash bulb. The intensity for the flash bulb, I, in lux, is a function of the
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distance from the light, d, in metres, and can be represented by 𝐼 (𝑑) = 2 ,
𝑑
𝑑 > 0.

a) Determine the following, to two decimal places.

i) the intensity of light 3 m from the flash bulb

ii) the average rate of change in the intensity of light for the interval 1 < d
<3

iii) the approximate instantaneous rate of change in the intensity of light

at exactly 3 m from the flash bulb
b) What does the sign of your answer to part a), subpart iii), indicate about
the light intensity?

15. Ingrid is docking a motorboat. She turns off the power and lets the
boat coast toward the dock. The distance, d, in metres, between the boat
and the dock as a function of time, t, in seconds, is given by d(t) = ≤ 𝑡 ≤
10.

a) What is the average velocity of the boat during the time interval from
when Ingrid turns the boat off to when it meets the dock?
b) Determine the velocity of the boat when Ingrid turns off the power, to
one decimal place.

c) Determine the velocity of the boat when it meets the dock, to one
decimal place.
d) Sketch a graph of the function. On the same set of axes, sketch a graph
of the speed of the boat in relation to the time.

16. Write an equation for the graph of the rational function shown. Explain
your reasoning.
 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏
17. Determine an equation in the form 𝑓(𝑥 ) = for a function that has
𝑐𝑥 + 𝑑
3
asymptotes with equations x = – 1 and 𝑦 = and a y-intercept of 2. Sketch
4
a graph of your function.
 4𝑥
18. Explain the difference between the solution to the equation =3
𝑥− 2
4𝑥
and the solution to ≤3 .
𝑥− 2

19. Write an equation for a rational function whose graph has all of the
indicated features.
• vertical asymptote with equation x = 3
• horizontal asymptote with equation y = 2
• hole at x = 1
• no x-intercepts
20. a) Use the asymptotes and intercepts to make a quick sketch of the
𝑥− 2 𝑥+ 4
function 𝑓(𝑥 ) = and its reciprocal, 𝑔(𝑥 ) = , on the same set of
𝑥+ 4 𝑥− 2
axes.

b) Describe the symmetry in the graphs in part a).

c) Determine the equation of the mirror line in your graph from part a).

d) Determine intervals of increase and decrease for both f and g. How do

the sets of intervals compare?
e) Would the pattern from part d) occur for all pairs of functions 𝑓(𝑥 ) =
𝑥+ 𝑏 𝑥+ 𝑑
and 𝑔(𝑥 ) = ? Explain why or why not.
𝑥+ 𝑑 𝑥+𝑏
Answer Section

TRUE/FALSE

1. F The solution is x < –5 or x > 2.

2. F

MULTIPLE CHOICE

3. B 4. D 5. B 6. A

7. C 8. D 9. B 10. B

SHORT ANSWER

11.
24 7 ± 3√7
a) x = b) x = 7 or x = –3 c) 𝑥 = d) No solution.
7 7

12. a) or b) or
c) No solution. d) or

13. a) b) or
c) or d) or
PROBLEM

14.
a) i) 1.11 lux ii) –4.44 lux/m iii) –0.74 lux/m

b) As the distance from the light increases, the intensity drops.

15.
a) 1.75 m/s toward the dock (Ingrid turns off the boat at t = 0 and the boat
hits the dock when d = 0. Setting d = 0 gives that t = 10 when the boat hits
∆𝑑
the dock. To find the average velocity, determine for 0 ≤ 𝑡 ≤ 10.
∆𝑡

b) 6.1m/s toward the dock (This is the instantaneous velocity at t = 0.)

c) 0.5 m/s toward the dock (This is the instantaneous velocity at t = 10.)

d)

The thicker line is the graph of the speed of the boat with respect to its
starting position. It is decreasing because the speed of the boat decreases
once power has been cut. Students should not be expected to find this graph
precisely but should intuit its basic shape.
Note: Although is negative, this derivative does not represent
the speed of the boat, only the rate of change in the distance between the boat
and the dock, which is shrinking. In fact, the equation for the speed of the
boat with respect to its starting position is the exact opposite of this:
, which is the equation of the thicker line graphed above. Again,
students are not expected to be this precise.

16.
is one possible equation. Any function of the form
is a reasonable candidate since it is difficult to tell from the graph how
stretched the function is.

17.

(Since there is a vertical asymptote at x = –1, the denominator must be a

multiple of x + 1. Since there is a horizontal asymptote at , the ratio
= . If you pick c = 4, then d = 4 and a = 3. To ensure a y-intercept of 2, d
= 4 and b = 8.)
18. The equation has one solution, x = –6. However, there are
infinitely many solutions to , with x = –6 being one of them, acting
as a boundary on the interval of solutions for x.

19. There are many possible answers. One is .

20.
a) For : asymptotes ; intercepts
For : asymptotes ; intercepts

b) There is reflective symmetry in this graph, about a vertical mirror line

that runs exactly halfway between the two vertical asymptotes.

c) x = –1

d) For f: increasing for , decreasing for no values of x

For g: increasing for no values of x, decreasing for
Where f increases, g decreases, except at and , the locations of the
vertical asymptotes.
e) Yes, this pattern would occur for all such pairs of functions. Values that
are growing larger grow smaller when reciprocated, and vice versa.