GRAPHING RATIONAL

FUNCTIONS
Three SAD Stories in Mathematics
1. PARALLEL LINES – lines that are never
meant to meet.
2. TANGENT LINES – lines that had one
chance to meet then parted forever.
3. ASYMPTOTES – lines who gets closer and
closer but will never be together.
 Review
• Draw the graph of the function
𝑥−2
𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥+2

X -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -1 0 1 2 3

f(x) 1.8 2 2.33 3 5 -3 -1 -0.33 0 0.2

x f(x)
-7 1.8 6
-6 2 4
-5 2.33
-4 3
2
-3 5 0
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-1 -3
-2
0 -1
1 -0.33 -4
2 0 -6
3 0.2
Vertical Asymptote
The vertical line 𝒙 = 𝒂 is a vertical asymptote
of a function if the graph of f either increases or
decreases without bound as the x-values
approach a from the right or left.
 6 Vertical Asymptote:

4 𝒙 = −𝟐
2
0
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-2

-4
-6
Finding the Vertical Asymptotes of a Rational Function

• Find the values of a where the denominator

is zero.
• If this value of a does not make the
numerator zero, then the line x=a is a
vertical asymptote.
Try This!
• Find the vertical asymptote of the following functions:
2𝑥−3
1. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒙 = −𝟔
𝑥+6
𝑥+4 𝒙=𝟖
2. 𝑓 𝑥 =
𝑥−8
3𝑥+5
3. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒙 = −𝟕
𝑥+7
 Rational X- Y-
a VA b HA Domain Range interc interc
Functions ept ept

𝒙+𝟑
1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 6 𝒙=𝟔
𝒙−𝟔
𝒙+𝟏𝟎
2. 𝒇 𝒙 = 4 𝒙=𝟒
𝟐𝒙−𝟖
𝟐𝒙+𝟕
3. 𝒇 𝒙 = -5 𝒙 = −𝟓
𝒙+𝟓
𝒙𝟐 −𝟒
4. 𝒇 𝒙 = -9 𝒙 = −𝟗
𝒙+𝟗
𝟓
5. 𝒇 𝒙 = -3 𝒙 = −𝟑
𝒙+𝟑
Horizontal Asymptote
• The horizontal line 𝒚 = 𝒃 is a horizontal
asymptote of the function 𝒇 if 𝒇(𝒙) gets
closer to 𝒃 as 𝒙 increases or decreases
without bound.
 6 Horizontal Asymptote:

4 𝒚=𝟏
2
0
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-2

-4
-6
 Finding the Horizontal Asymptotes of a Rational
Function
Let n be the degree of the numerator and m be the
degree of the denominator.
• If 𝒏 < 𝒎, the horizontal asymptote is 𝒚 = 𝟎.
𝒄
• If 𝑛 = 𝑚, the horizontal asymptote is 𝒚 = where 𝒄 is
,
𝒅
the leading coefficient of the numerator and 𝒅 is the
leading coefficient of the denominator.
• If 𝒏 > 𝒎, there is no horizontal asymptote.
Try This!
• Find the vertical asymptote of the following functions:
𝑥 2 +2𝑥−3
1. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒏𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒆
𝑥+6
𝑥+4
2. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒚=𝟎
3𝑥 5 +2𝑥−7
3𝑥+5
3. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝒚=𝟑
𝑥+7
 Rational X- Y-
a VA b HA Domain Range interc interc
Functions ept ept

𝒙+𝟑
1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 6 𝒙=𝟔 1 𝒚=𝟏
𝒙−𝟔
𝒙+𝟏𝟎 𝒙 = 𝟒 𝟏 𝟏
2. 𝒇 𝒙 = 4 𝒚=
𝟐𝒙−𝟖 𝟐 𝟐
𝟐𝒙+𝟕
3. 𝒇 𝒙 = -5 𝒙 = −𝟓 2 𝒚=𝟐
𝒙+𝟓
𝒙𝟐 −𝟒
4. 𝒇 𝒙 = -9 𝒙 = −𝟗 dne 𝑵𝑯𝑨
𝒙+𝟗
𝟓
5. 𝒇 𝒙 = -3 𝒙 = −𝟑 0 𝒚=𝟎
𝒙+𝟑
Properties of the graph of a Rational Function.
Domain – the set of all values that the variable
𝑥 can take.
 6
Domain:
4
𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟐
2
0
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-2

-4
-6
 Rational X- Y-
a VA b HA Domain Range interc interc
Functions ept ept

𝒙+𝟑
1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 6 𝒙=𝟔 1 𝒚 = 𝟏 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟔
𝒙−𝟔
𝒙+𝟏𝟎 𝒙 = 𝟒 𝟏 𝟏
2. 𝒇 𝒙 = 4 𝒚=
𝟐𝒙−𝟖 𝟐 𝟐 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟒
𝟐𝒙+𝟕
3. 𝒇 𝒙 = -5 𝒙 = −𝟓 2 𝒚 = 𝟐 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟓
𝒙+𝟓
𝒙𝟐 −𝟒
4. 𝒇 𝒙 = -9 𝒙 = −𝟗 dne 𝑵𝑯𝑨 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟗
𝒙+𝟗
𝟓
5. 𝒇 𝒙 = -3 𝒙 = −𝟑 0 𝒚 = 𝟎 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟑
𝒙+𝟑
Properties of the graph of a Rational Function.
Range – is the set of all values that 𝑓(𝑥) will
take.
 6

2 Range:

0 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟏
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-2

-4
-6
 Rational X- Y-
a VA b HA Domain Range interc interc
Functions ept ept

𝒙+𝟑
1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 6 𝒙=𝟔 1 𝒚 = 𝟏 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟔 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟏
𝒙−𝟔
𝒙+𝟏𝟎 𝒙 = 𝟒 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
2. 𝒇 𝒙 = 4 𝒚= 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟒 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠
𝟐𝒙−𝟖 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
𝟐𝒙+𝟕
3. 𝒇 𝒙 = -5 𝒙 = −𝟓 2 𝒚 = 𝟐 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟓 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟐
𝒙+𝟓
𝒙𝟐 −𝟒
4. 𝒇 𝒙 = -9 𝒙 = −𝟗 dne 𝑵𝑯𝑨 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟗 𝒚𝝐𝑹
𝒙+𝟗
𝟓
5. 𝒇 𝒙 = -3 𝒙 = −𝟑 0 𝒚 = 𝟎 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟑 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟎
𝒙+𝟑
Properties of the graph of a Rational Function.
x-intercept (zeros) – the function value when y
or f(x) = 0.
 6
X-intercept:
4
𝟐
2
0
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-2

-4
-6
 Rational X- Y-
a VA b HA Domain Range interc interc
Functions ept ept

𝒙+𝟑
1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 6 𝒙=𝟔 1 𝒚 = 𝟏 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟔 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟏 -3
𝒙−𝟔
𝒙+𝟏𝟎 𝒙 = 𝟒 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 -10
2. 𝒇 𝒙 = 4 𝒚= 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟒 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠
𝟐𝒙−𝟖 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐
𝟐𝒙+𝟕 −𝟕
3. 𝒇 𝒙 = -5 𝒙 = −𝟓 2 𝒚 = 𝟐 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟓 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟐
𝒙+𝟓 𝟐
𝒙𝟐 −𝟒
4. 𝒇 𝒙 = -9 𝒙 = −𝟗 dne 𝑵𝑯𝑨 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟗 𝒚𝝐𝑹 2
𝒙+𝟗
𝟓
5. 𝒇 𝒙 = -3 𝒙 = −𝟑 0 𝒚 = 𝟎 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟑 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟎 dne
𝒙+𝟑
Properties of the graph of a Rational Function.
y-intercept – is the function value when x = 0.
 6

2
0 Y-intercept:
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-2
−𝟏
-4
-6
 Rational X- Y-
a VA b HA Domain Range interc interc
Functions ept ept

𝒙+𝟑 𝟏
1. 𝒇 𝒙 = 6 𝒙=𝟔 1 𝒚 = 𝟏 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟔 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟏 -3 −
𝒙−𝟔 𝟐
𝒙+𝟏𝟎 𝒙 = 𝟒 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 −𝟓
2. 𝒇 𝒙 = 4 𝒚= 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ 𝟒 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ -10
𝟐𝒙−𝟖 𝟐 𝟐 𝟐 𝟒
𝟐𝒙+𝟕 −𝟕 𝟕
3. 𝒇 𝒙 = -5 𝒙 = −𝟓 2 𝒚 = 𝟐 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟓 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟐
𝒙+𝟓 𝟐 𝟓
𝒙𝟐 −𝟒 −𝟒
4. 𝒇 𝒙 = -9 𝒙 = −𝟗 dne 𝑵𝑯𝑨 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟗 𝒚𝝐𝑹 2
𝒙+𝟗 𝟗
𝟓 𝟓
5. 𝒇 𝒙 = -3 𝒙 = −𝟑 0 𝒚 = 𝟎 𝒙𝝐𝑹: 𝒙 ≠ −𝟑 𝒚𝝐𝑹: 𝒚 ≠ 𝟎 dne
𝒙+𝟑 𝟑
Try This!
• Identify the properties of the function:

𝟓𝒙+𝟐
𝒇 𝒙 =
𝒙−𝟑