Solving Rational Equations & Word Problems
Rational equations are ones with x and/or x2 in the denominator, not too bad. In the first video I'll show you the tricks to solving these, the main one being to pick the correct common denominator when you're first starting the problem, to save you tons of work later on should you choose poorly.
The word problems are another story. Crazy hard for most kids. That's partially the fault of teachers, though, depending on your teacher's style. If you have a tough teacher who expects everyone to be a math expert, when working examples he/she might just read the word problem and then appear to magically pull equations out of his or her butt. The better explainers, though, will show you the "table method" which I explain in great detail in the videos in this chapter. Basically, as always, I break these super-hard problems down into categories, then give you a step-by-step cookbook to guide you through solving them using a three-column chart. Rate * Time = Distance never looked so good.
Solving Rational Equations (x's in denominators)
This video pertains to finding common denominators when said denominators contain x's, x2's, and other factorable junk. With the aforementioned common denominators established, one is heretofore then able to perform the solving-related work for hire.
Rate/Time Word Problems Using Tables
In this video I solve problems where a rower takes a journey with and against the current, and a plane flying with and against the wind. The key method I'll demonstrate is using a rate/time table to turn the hard word problem into a manageable rational equation.