Chapter 2 Lesson 2

OPERATIONS ON RATIONAL NUMBERS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this lesson, you will:

• Illustrate the properties of real numbers;

• Perform fundamental operations on rational numbers;
• Solve word problems involving rational numbers.
PROPERTIES OF REAL NUMBERS
COMMUTATIVE PROPERTIES

Real numbers are commutative under addition and

multiplication. If a and b are real numbers, then:
𝑎+𝑏 =𝑏+𝑎

𝑎∙𝑏 =𝑏∙𝑎
Illustration 1
7 + 8 = 5 → If we interchange the order of the addends, i.e., 8 + 7, the sum is still 15

12 ∙ 4 = 48 → If we interchange the order of the factors, i.e., 4 ∙ 12, the product is still 48.
ASSOCIATIVE PROPERTIES

Real numbers are associative under addition and multiplication. If a,

b, and c are real numbers then:
𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐 = 𝑎 + (𝑏 + 𝑐)

𝑎 ∗ 𝑏 ∗ 𝑐 = 𝑎 ∗ (𝑏 ∗ 𝑐)
Illustration 2
3 + 4 + 5 = 7 + 5 = 12 → We can also do it this way: 3 + 4 + 5 = 3 + 9 = 12. Either way,
the sum is 12.

8 ∗ 2 ∗ 5 = 16 ∗ 5 = 80 → We can also do it this way: 8 ∗ 2 ∗ 5 = 8 ∗ 10 = 80. Either way,

the product is 80.
CLOSURE PROPERTIES

Real numbers are closed under addition, subtraction, and

multiplication.
• When two real numbers are added, the sum is always a
real number.
• When a real number is subtracted from a real number,
the difference is always a real number.
• When two real numbers are multiplied, the product is
always a real number.
IDENTITY PROPERTY OF ADDITION

A unique real number 0, exist such that

0 + 𝑎 = 𝑎 + 0 = 𝑎,
where a is any real number.
IDENTITY PROPERTY FOR MULTIPLICATION

A unique real number 1, exist such that

1 ∗ 𝑏 = 𝑏 ∗ 1 = 𝑏,
where a is any real number.
ADDITIVE INVERSE PROPERTY

For every real number a, a unique real number, -a,

exists such that 𝑎 + (−𝑎)=0
MULTIPLICATIVE INVERSE PROPERTY

For every nonzero real number a, a unique real

1 1
number, , exists such that 𝑎 ∗ = 1
𝑎 𝑎
ZERO PROPERTY OF MULTIPLICATION

For each real number a, 𝑎 ∗ 0 = 0.

DISTRIBUTIVE PROPERTY

For each real number a, b, and c,

𝑎 𝑏+𝑐 =𝑎∗𝑏+𝑎∗𝑐
CROSS-PRODUCT PROPERTY OF EQUIVALENT
RATIONAL NUMBERS

For each real number a, b, c, and d, where

𝑎 𝑐
𝑏 ≠ 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑 ≠ 0, = if and only if 𝑎𝑑 = 𝑏𝑐
𝑏 𝑑
FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF FRACTIONS

𝑎 𝑎∗𝑐 𝑎÷𝑛
= =
𝑏 𝑏∗𝑐 𝑏÷𝑛
where 𝑏 ≠ 0, c ≠ 0, and n ≠ 0

This law tells us that the value of a fraction does not

change when the numerator and denominator are both
multiplied or both divided by the same nonzero numbers
FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF FRACTIONS

Illustration 3

72 72 ∗ 2 144
= =
84 84 ∗ 2 168
72 72 ÷ 4 18
= =
84 84 ÷ 4 21
OPERATIONS ON RATIONAL
NUMBERS
ADDING AND SUBTRACTING RATIONAL
NUMBERS
EXAMPLE 1
7 1 4
• Simplify + −
16 2 3
ADDING AND SUBTRACTING RATIONAL
NUMBERS
EXAMPLE 1
−7 −1
• Simplify −
2 5
ADDING AND SUBTRACTING RATIONAL
NUMBERS
EXAMPLE 1
−8 21
• Simplify −
12 14
MULTIPLYING RATIONAL NUMBERS

EXAMPLE 2
35 2
• Simplify ∗
8 75
MULTIPLYING RATIONAL NUMBERS

EXAMPLE 2
−7 −1
• Simplify
2 5
MULTIPLYING RATIONAL NUMBERS

EXAMPLE 2
3 7
• Simplify 6
14 12
DIVIDING RATIONAL NUMBERS

EXAMPLE 3
28 14
• Simplify ÷
31 9
DIVIDING RATIONAL NUMBERS

EXAMPLE 3
36 45
• Simplify ÷
21 27
DIVIDING RATIONAL NUMBERS

EXAMPLE 3
24 32
• Simplify ÷
15 25
THANK YOU
AND
GOD BLESS!