Chapter 3: Problem 20
Exercises \(1-28:\) Solve the quadratic equation. Check your answers for Exercises \(1-12\). $$ \frac{3}{4} x^{2}+\frac{1}{2} x-\frac{1}{2}=0 $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The solutions are \( x = \frac{-1 + \sqrt{13}}{3} \) and \( x = \frac{-1 - \sqrt{13}}{3} \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the coefficients
First, identify the coefficients from the given quadratic equation, which is \[ \frac{3}{4}x^{2} + \frac{1}{2}x - \frac{1}{2} = 0 \]The quadratic equation format is \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \). Thus:\[ a = \frac{3}{4}, \quad b = \frac{1}{2}, \quad c = -\frac{1}{2} \]
02
Calculate the discriminant
Calculate the discriminant using the formula:\[ D = b^2 - 4ac \]Substitute the values found:\[ D = \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^2 - 4\left(\frac{3}{4}\right)\left(-\frac{1}{2}\right) \]Simplify the expression:\[ D = \frac{1}{4} + 3 = \frac{1}{4} + \frac{12}{4} = \frac{13}{4} \]
03
Apply the quadratic formula
Use the quadratic formula to find the roots:\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{D}}{2a} \]Substitute the known values of \( b \), \( D \), and \( a \):\[ x = \frac{-\frac{1}{2} \pm \sqrt{\frac{13}{4}}}{2 \times \frac{3}{4}} \]Simplify:\[ x = \frac{-\frac{1}{2} \pm \frac{\sqrt{13}}{2}}{\frac{3}{2}} \]Multiply numerator and denominator by 2:\[ x = \frac{-1 \pm \sqrt{13}}{3} \]
04
State the solutions
From the quadratic formula, the solutions are:\[ x_1 = \frac{-1 + \sqrt{13}}{3} \]\[ x_2 = \frac{-1 - \sqrt{13}}{3} \]
05
Verify the solutions
Substitute the solutions back into the original equation to verify.For \( x_1 \):Replace \( x \) with \( \frac{-1 + \sqrt{13}}{3} \) in the original equation and simplify to ensure it satisfies the equation.For \( x_2 \):Replace \( x \) with \( \frac{-1 - \sqrt{13}}{3} \) in the original equation and simplify to ensure it satisfies the equation.Both should equal zero, confirming the solutions.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Discriminant
In the realm of quadratic equations, the discriminant plays a crucial role. It helps determine the nature of the roots without actually solving the equation.
The discriminant (denoted as \( D \)) is calculated using the formula:
The discriminant gives insights into the type of roots:
The discriminant (denoted as \( D \)) is calculated using the formula:
- \( D = b^2 - 4ac \)
The discriminant gives insights into the type of roots:
- If \( D > 0 \), the equation has two distinct real roots.
- If \( D = 0 \), the equation has one real root, often called a repeated or double root.
- If \( D < 0 \), the equation has two complex roots.
Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula is a straightforward and reliable method to find the roots of any quadratic equation.
This powerful formula is:
When solving a quadratic equation:1. First calculate the discriminant \( D \).2. Substitute \( b \), \( a \), and the calculated \( \sqrt{D} \) into the quadratic formula.
For the equation \( \frac{3}{4}x^2 + \frac{1}{2}x - \frac{1}{2} = 0 \),
This powerful formula is:
- \( x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{D}}{2a} \)
When solving a quadratic equation:1. First calculate the discriminant \( D \).2. Substitute \( b \), \( a \), and the calculated \( \sqrt{D} \) into the quadratic formula.
For the equation \( \frac{3}{4}x^2 + \frac{1}{2}x - \frac{1}{2} = 0 \),
- \( b = 1/2 \)
- \( a = 3/4 \)
- \( D = 13/4 \)
- Plugging these into the formula gives the two solutions:
- \( x_1 = \frac{-1 + \sqrt{13}}{3} \)
- \( x_2 = \frac{-1 - \sqrt{13}}{3} \)
Polynomial Coefficients
Polynomial coefficients are the numbers \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) in a quadratic equation \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \).
These coefficients play a significant part in controlling the shape and position of a parabola, which is the graph of a quadratic equation.
These coefficients play a significant part in controlling the shape and position of a parabola, which is the graph of a quadratic equation.
- \( a \) is the quadratic coefficient and affects the direction and width of the parabola:
- If \( a > 0 \), the parabola opens upwards.
- If \( a < 0 \), the parabola opens downwards.
- Larger \( |a| \) values result in a narrower parabola.
- \( b \) is the linear coefficient, influencing the tilt or the axis intercepts of the parabola.
- \( c \) is the constant term, representing the y-intercept where the graph intersects the y-axis.
- \( a = \frac{3}{4} \)
- \( b = \frac{1}{2} \)
- \( c = -\frac{1}{2} \)