Chapter 3: Problem 51
Solve each equation. For equations with real solutions, support your answers graphically. $$2 x^{2}-4 x=1$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The solutions are \( x = 1 + \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \) and \( x = 1 - \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \).
Step by step solution
01
Move all terms to one side
Start by moving all terms to one side of the equation to set the equation to zero: \[ 2x^2 - 4x - 1 = 0 \]
02
Use the quadratic formula
Identify the coefficients from the quadratic equation \( ax^2+bx+c=0 \) where \( a=2 \), \( b=-4 \), and \( c=-1 \). Use the quadratic formula: \[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]
03
Calculate the discriminant
Calculate the discriminant \( b^2 - 4ac \) from the equation: \[ (-4)^2 - 4 \times 2 \times (-1) = 16 + 8 = 24 \] Since the discriminant is positive, there are two real solutions.
04
Solve for x
Substitute the values into the quadratic formula to find \( x \): \[ x = \frac{-(-4) \pm \sqrt{24}}{2 \times 2} \] \[ x = \frac{4 \pm \sqrt{24}}{4} \]Simplify as:\[ x = \frac{4 \pm 2\sqrt{6}}{4} \]\[ x = 1 \pm \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \] So the solutions are \( x = 1 + \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \) and \( x = 1 - \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \).
05
Support graphically
Graph the equation \( y = 2x^2 - 4x - 1 \) and observe where the graph crosses the x-axis. The solutions for \( x \) are the x-coordinates of these intersection points, which should match \( x = 1 + \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \) and \( x = 1 - \frac{\sqrt{6}}{2} \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula is a critical tool for solving quadratic equations, which take the form \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \). Every quadratic equation can be solved using this formula, making it an incredibly versatile tool. The general quadratic formula is:
- \( x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \)
- \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are the coefficients of the terms from the equation.
- \( \pm \) means there will typically be two solutions—one for each sign.
- \( \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac} \) is the square root of the discriminant, which tells us about the nature of the roots.
Discriminant
The discriminant is a key part of the quadratic formula that helps determine the nature of the solutions of a quadratic equation. It is represented by the formula \( \Delta = b^2 - 4ac \). Here's how it works:
- If \( \Delta > 0 \), the quadratic equation has two distinct real solutions.
- If \( \Delta = 0 \), there is exactly one real solution, meaning the parabola touches the x-axis at one point.
- If \( \Delta < 0 \), there are no real solutions. Instead, the solutions are complex numbers.
Graphical Solutions
Graphical solutions of quadratic equations involve plotting the equation on a graph to visually find the solutions. The equation \( y = 2x^2 - 4x - 1 \) can be represented as a parabola on a coordinate plane.
- The x-values where the parabola crosses the x-axis are the solutions to the quadratic equation.
- If a parabola crosses the x-axis twice, the equation has two real solutions, which is what occurs in the given problem.