How can a fraction be undefined

So, since the denominator of a fraction is the way we divide called the divisor then you can never have zero in the denominator of a fraction and have it work! WHEN there is a zero in the denominator, we call that expression "undefined". So in this problem, you just have to figure out what value would make the denominator zero, which in turn will make the whole fraction "undefined".

To solve for when it is undefined, set the denominator equal to zero:. Helping GED candidates pass their tests is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I have two students that have passed this month! It's undefined when the denominator is zero. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email.

June 15, Fraction A fraction is an expression having both a numerator and a denominator. Of course, we have three 3 types namely; Proper fraction Improper fraction Mixed fraction A proper fraction has a ratio less than 1. Undefined fraction There is another type of fraction gotten from improper fraction; which is termed undefined fraction.

Follow me 4. One final example 5. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Pythagorean Triple using odd numbers. Thanks Henry. Feel free to ask questions Like Like. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:.

Email required Address never made public. Name required. Follow Following. MathUp Blog Join other followers. Factor the numerator, factor the denominator, identify factors that are common to the numerator and denominator, and write as a factor of 1, and simplify.

When simplifying rational expressions, it is a good habit to always consider the domain, and to find the values of the variable or variables that make the expression undefined. This will come in handy when you begin solving for variables a bit later on. The values for x that make the denominator equal 0 are excluded from the domain. The domain is all real numbers except 0.

Notice that you started with the original expression, and identified values of x that would make 25 x equal to 0.

Why does this matter? Look at when it is simplified…it is the fraction. Since 5 is the denominator, it seems that no values need to be excluded from the domain. When finding the domain of an expression, you always start with the original expression because variable terms may be factored out as part of the simplification process. In the examples that follow, the numerator and the denominator are polynomials with more than one term, but the same principles of simplifying will once again apply.

Factor the numerator and denominator to simplify the rational expression. Simplify and state the domain for the expression. To find the domain and the excluded values , find the values for which the denominator is equal to 0. Factor the quadratic to find the values. Identify the factors that are the same in the numerator and denominator.

Write as separate fractions, pulling out fractions that equal 1. To find the domain, determine the values for which the denominator is equal to 0. To simplify, factor the numerator and denominator of the rational expression. It is acceptable to either leave the denominator in factored form or to distribute multiplication. Steps for Simplifying a Rational Expression. To simplify a rational expression, follow these steps:. The excluded values are those values for the variable that result in the expression having a denominator of 0.

Simplify the rational expression below. You must first factor the polynomials in the numerator and the denominator and then express like factors in the numerator and denominator as 1 to simplify.

The expression can be factored as , so the correct answer is. The rational expression can be simplified by factoring the numerator and denominator as. Since , simplify the expression to.