After solving a rational equation, why is it important to check your answer? How is this done? What happens if you are checking a solution for the rational expression and find that it makes one of the denominators in the expression equal to zero?
That's why you check. If a fraction has zero denominator, it is undefined.
If b = a/0
then b*0 = a
There is no number you can multiply by 0 to get a nonzero value.
It is important to check your answer after solving a rational equation because sometimes the process of solving the equation can introduce extraneous solutions, which are values that do not satisfy the original equation. So, by checking the solution, you can ensure it is valid and doesn't lead to any contradictions.
To check the solution of a rational equation, you need to substitute the found solution back into the original equation and verify if the equation holds true.
If, during the process of checking, you find that one of the denominators in the expression becomes zero when the solution is substituted, it means that the original equation is undefined at that point. This happens because dividing by zero is undefined in mathematics. In this case, the solution is considered an excluded value, meaning it cannot be included as a valid solution for the rational equation.