Chapter 8: Problem 3
Find the real solutions of \(4 x^{2}-x-5=0\).
Short Answer
Expert verified
The real solutions are \( x = \frac{5}{4} \) and \( x = -1 \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the coefficients
The given quadratic equation is \(4x^2 - x - 5 = 0\). Identify the coefficients of the equation, where \(a = 4\), \(b = -1\), and \(c = -5\).
02
Use the quadratic formula
The quadratic formula to find the roots of the equation \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\) is given by \[x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}\]. Substitute \(a = 4\), \(b = -1\), and \(c = -5\) into this formula.
03
Calculate the discriminant
First calculate the discriminant \[ \Delta = b^2 - 4ac \]. Substitute the coefficients to get: \( \Delta = (-1)^2 - 4(4)(-5) = 1 + 80 = 81 \).
04
Find the square root of the discriminant
Take the square root of the discriminant value: \( \sqrt{81} = 9 \).
05
Substitute back into the quadratic formula
Substitute the values of \(b\), \(\sqrt{\Delta}\), and \(a\) back into the quadratic formula: \[ x = \frac{-(-1) \pm 9}{2 \cdot 4} \]. This simplifies to: \[ x = \frac{1 \pm 9}{8} \].
06
Solve for the two roots
Calculate the two possible values for \(x\): \[ x_1 = \frac{1 + 9}{8} = \frac{10}{8} = \frac{5}{4} \] and \[ x_2 = \frac{1 - 9}{8} = \frac{-8}{8} = -1 \].
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
quadratic formula
To solve any quadratic equation, the quadratic formula is a powerful tool. The formula is given by:\[x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}\]Here, the quadratic formula helps us find the values of \(x\) that satisfy the quadratic equation \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\). The terms involved in the quadratic formula are:
- \(a\): Coefficient of \(x^2\)
- \(b\): Coefficient of \(x\)
- \(c\): Constant term
discriminant
The discriminant is a vital part of the quadratic formula and provides important insights into the nature of the roots. It is computed as:\[ \Delta = b^2 - 4ac \]In our example, this becomes:\[ \Delta = (-1)^2 - 4(4)(-5) = 1 + 80 = 81 \]The value of the discriminant (\(\Delta = 81\)) tells us the nature of the roots:
- If \(\Delta > 0\), there are two distinct real roots.
- If \(\Delta = 0\), there is exactly one real root (a repeated root).
- If \(\Delta < 0\), the roots are complex or imaginary numbers.
solving quadratic equations
Once we have the coefficients and the discriminant, solving the quadratic equation involves several clear steps:
- Step 1: Identify the coefficients \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\).
- Step 2: Calculate the discriminant \(\Delta = b^2 - 4ac\).
- Step 3: Use the quadratic formula \(x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{\Delta}}{2a}\).
- Step 4: Substitute the coefficients and the calculated discriminant back into the formula.
- In this case: \(x = \frac{-(-1) \pm \sqrt{81}}{2 \cdot 4}\) simplifies to \(x = \frac{1 \pm 9}{8}\).
- Step 5: Solve for the two values of \(x\):
- \(x_1 = \frac{1 + 9}{8} = \frac{10}{8} = \frac{5}{4}\)
- \(x_2 = \frac{1 - 9}{8} = \frac{-8}{8} = -1\)