Rational Functions in

the Real World

owered by: Mr. Michael Angelo B. del Rosario

You can download this presentation at:

sirmilogsbed.wordpress.com

Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the
learner is expected to:
demonstrates

understanding of key
concepts of rational functions.

accurately

solve real life problems

involving rational functions.

What have we learned?

What

is a rational number?

5
, 3, 4.5
A number that can be expressed as a fraction:
2

So

just for grins, what is an irrational

number?

,
A number that cannot be expressed as a fraction:
A

rational function has the form

p( x)
f ( x)
q( x)
where p and q are polynomial functions

Medical Example
After

learning all the stuffs in

rational functions, when and
how are we going to use this
skill?

How

can we apply the graphs of

rational function in real life
situation?

Medical Example

Medical Example
Before

surgery a patient might be

injected with some medication.

When

the concentration of the drug in the

bloodstream is at a desired level the
operation will begin.

You

can model the concentration of the

drug in the patients bloodstream using a
rational function.

Medical Example Contd

Here is a hypothetical
rational function
representing the
concentration of a drug in
the patients bloodstream

Medical Example Graph

C(t)

C (t )

4t
t2 2

Medical Example Contd

Being

able to analyze this

rational function can help a nurse
or doctor determine when the
drug will wear off on the patient.

Imagine

not knowing how to do

this and having a patient wake
up during surgery.

Medical Example Graph

us analyze the graph by answering the following questi

C(t)

C (t )

4t
t2 2

What is the
highest level of
concentration C(t)
of drug in the
patients
Aside
from time(t)
bloodstream?
zero, will the
concentration C(t)
of the drug
become zero
again?

Economic Example

Economic Example
You

can use rational functions

to model what are known as
average cost functions.

Average

cost functions can help

a business determine the cost
of producing a certain product.

Economic Example
Contd
Suppose

your
company makes light
bulbs and you want
to determine the
average cost of
making light bulbs.

Economic Example
Contd
You

can model the average

cost function for making light
bulbs using the rational
fixed cost to run
cost of each light
function shown
below.
business
bulb

number of
light bulbs
produced

Economic Example
Contd
Using

this rational function,

you can model how much it
will cost to make light
bulbs, which can be
important information for a
businessman.

Sample Problems

The weekly sale (S) (in

thousands of units) for the tth
week after the introduction of
the product in the market is
given by . In which week
would the sale (S) have been
6?

Sample Problems

After
taking a certain antibiotic,
the concentration (C) of the drug
in the patient's bloodstream is
given by where t is the time (in
hours) after taking the antibiotic.
How many hours after taking the
antibiotic will its concentration
be 0.04 units?

Sample Problems

The average cost per unit

C(x), in dollars, to produce x
units of toy cars is given by
. What is the approximate
cost per unit when 1250 toy
cars are produced?

References
Comandante, Felipe Jr. L., Algebra Made Easy, 2009
https://www.sophia.org/rational-functions-in-thereal-world-top