Chapter 8: Problem 31
Solve. $$4 t^{-2}-3 t^{-1}-1=0$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The solutions are \( t = 1 \) and \( t = -4 \).
Step by step solution
01
Substitute variables to simplify
Let us set a new variable to simplify the equation. Let’s use \( u = t^{-1} \), thus \( t^{-2} = u^2 \). Therefore, the equation becomes \( 4u^2 - 3u - 1 = 0 \).
02
Solve the quadratic equation
Now, solve the quadratic equation \( 4u^2 - 3u - 1 = 0 \) using the quadratic formula, \( u = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \), where \( a = 4 \), \( b = -3 \), and \( c = -1 \).
03
Apply the quadratic formula
Substitute the values of \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) into the quadratic formula: \[ u = \frac{-(-3) \pm \sqrt{(-3)^2 - 4 \cdot 4 \cdot (-1)}}{2 \cdot 4} \]. Simplifying inside the square root, this becomes \[ u = \frac{3 \pm \sqrt{9 + 16}}{8} \]. Hence, \[ u = \frac{3 \pm 5}{8} \].
04
Determine the two solutions for u
Calculate the two values for \( u \): \[ u_1 = \frac{3 + 5}{8} = 1 \] and \[ u_2 = \frac{3 - 5}{8} = -\frac{1}{4} \]. Thus, \( u = 1 \) or \( u = -\frac{1}{4} \).
05
Back-substitute the original variable
Recall that \( u = t^{-1} = \frac{1}{t} \). Therefore, \( t = 1 \) when \( u = 1 \), and \( t = -4 \) when \( u = -\frac{1}{4} \).
06
Verify the solutions
Substitute \( t = 1 \) and \( t = -4 \) back into the original equation \( 4t^{-2} - 3t^{-1} - 1 = 0 \) to verify the solutions. Both should satisfy the equation.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Quadratic Equations
A quadratic equation is a second-degree polynomial equation in a single variable. The general form is: \[ ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \] where:
- \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are constants, where \( a eq 0 \)
- \( x \) is the variable
Variable Substitution
Variable substitution is a powerful technique used to simplify complex equations. It involves replacing complex expressions with a simpler variable.
In the exercise, we used the substitution: \[ u = t^{-1} \]
This transformed the original equation \( 4 t^{-2} - 3 t^{-1} - 1 = 0 \) into a simpler quadratic equation:
\( 4u^2 - 3u - 1 = 0 \) This makes it easier to solve, as we recognize it as a standard quadratic equation.
In the exercise, we used the substitution: \[ u = t^{-1} \]
This transformed the original equation \( 4 t^{-2} - 3 t^{-1} - 1 = 0 \) into a simpler quadratic equation:
\( 4u^2 - 3u - 1 = 0 \) This makes it easier to solve, as we recognize it as a standard quadratic equation.
Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula is a universal method for solving any quadratic equation. The formula is given by: \[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \] where:
- \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are coefficients from the equation \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \)
- The symbol \( \pm \) indicates there are generally 2 solutions, one for addition and one for subtraction
- \( a = 4 \)
- \( b = -3 \)
- \( c = -1 \)
- \( u_1 = \frac{3 + 5}{8} = 1 \)
- \( u_2 = \frac{3 - 5}{8} = -\frac{1}{4} \)