Chapter 2: Problem 5
The sum of the roots of \(3 x^{3}+4 x^{2}-4 x=0\) is (A) \(-\frac{4}{3}\) (B) \(^{-\frac{3}{4}}\) (C) 0 (D) \(\frac{4}{3}\) (E) 4
Short Answer
Expert verified
The sum of the roots of the equation \(3x^3 + 4x^2 - 4x = 0\) is \(-4/3\) so it corresponds to option (A).
Step by step solution
01
1. Simplify the Equation
Firstly, it can be observed that each term of the equation \(3x^3 + 4x^2 - 4x = 0\) has a common factor, \(x\). Therefore, this equation can be simplified by factoring out \(x\), which then gives us the equation \(x(3x^2 + 4x - 4) = 0\).
02
2. Identify the Roots
The cubic equation \(x(3x^2 + 4x - 4) = 0\) has its roots when \(x = 0\) or when \(3x^2 + 4x - 4 = 0\). While \(x = 0\) is an obvious root, the other roots can be obtained after applying the quadratic formula on the equation \(3x^2 + 4x - 4 =0\).
03
3. Apply the Quadratic Formula
Applying the quadratic formula, \(x = [-b ± sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)]/2a\), on the quadratic part of the equation \(3x^2 + 4x - 4 = 0\), where a = 3, b = 4, and c = -4, we obtain two roots. Those roots are \((-4 ± sqrt((4)^2 - 4*3*(-4)))/2*3 = (-4 ± sqrt(16 + 48))/6 = (-4 ± sqrt(64))/6 = (-4 ± 8)/6\) which simplifies down to \(x = 2/3\) and \(x = -2\).
04
4. Calculate the Sum of Roots
The sum of all roots of the equation \(x(3x^2 + 4x - 4) = 0\) is obtained by adding the roots \(x = 0\), \(x = 2/3\), and \(x = -2\), which equals \(0 + 2/3 - 2 = -4/3\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Cubic Equation
A cubic equation is a polynomial equation of degree three. In simpler words, it includes terms until the power of three, making it the highest degree term. These equations are generally written in the form \[ ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d = 0 \]where \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), and \(d\) are constants, and \(x\) represents the variable. They're fundamental in algebra, providing insights into the characteristics and behaviors of many functions.
- Example: An example of a cubic equation would be \(3x^3 + 4x^2 - 4x = 0\).
- The highest power in this equation is 3, making it a cubic equation.
Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula is a method used for finding the roots of a quadratic equation. A quadratic equation is in the form \[ ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \]where \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) are coefficients, and \(x\) is the unknown variable.
- The formula can be expressed as: \[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]
- It is particularly useful when other factoring methods are cumbersome or not apparent.
Factoring Polynomials
Factoring is a mathematical process used to simplify polynomials by expressing them as a product of simpler polynomials. With cubic equations, this often means pulling out a common variable or term to break the equation into an easier form.
- Example: In the equation \(3x^3 + 4x^2 - 4x = 0\), we can factor out an \(x\) from each term.
- This results in \(x(3x^2 + 4x - 4) = 0\), reducing the cubic equation into a simpler polynomial factor times a quadratic equation.
Polynomial Roots
Polynomial roots are the solutions to the equation \(P(x) = 0\). They are the values of \(x\) that make the polynomial equal to zero. Understanding how to find these roots is key to solving polynomial equations.
- For the cubic equation \(3x^3 + 4x^2 - 4x = 0\), we first factored to find that one root is \(x = 0\).
- The remaining quadratic aspect \(3x^2 + 4x - 4 = 0\) gave us two additional roots when using the quadratic formula: \(x = \frac{2}{3}\) and \(x = -2\).