QUADRATIC

EQUATIONS

Canarelli MS
Math Center Workshop Series

Basics
A quadratic equation is an equation
equivalent to an equation of the type
ax
2
+ bx + c = 0, where a is nonzero
We can solve a quadratic equation by
factoring and using The Principle of Zero
Products
If ab = 0, then either a = 0, b = 0, or both a
and b = 0.
Ex: Solve (4t + 1)(3t 5) = 0
Notice the equation as given is of the form ab = 0
set each factor equal to 0 and solve
4t + 1 = 0
Subtract 1
4t = 1
Divide by 4
t =
3t 5 = 0
Add 5
3t = 5
Divide by 3
t = 5/3
Solution: t = - and 5/3 t = {- , 5/3}
Ex: Solve x
2
+ 7x + 6 = 0
Quadratic equation factor the left hand side (LHS)
x
2
+ 7x + 6 = (x + )(x + ) 6 1
x
2
+ 7x + 6 = (x + 6)(x + 1) = 0
Now the equation as given is of the form ab = 0
set each factor equal to 0 and solve
x + 6 = 0
x = 6
x + 1 = 0
x = 1
Solution: x = - 6 and 1 x = {-6, -1}
Ex: Solve x
2
+ 10x = 25
Quadratic equation but not of the form ax
2
+ bx + c = 0
x
2
+ 10x + 25 = (x + )(x + ) 5 5
x
2
+ 10x + 25 = (x + 5)(x + 5) = 0
Now the equation as given is of the form ab = 0
set each factor equal to 0 and solve
x + 5 = 0
x = 5
x + 5 = 0
x = 5
Solution: x = - 5 x = {- 5} repeated root
Quadratic equation factor the left hand side (LHS)
Add 25 x
2
+ 10x + 25 = 0
Ex: Solve 12y
2
5y = 2
Quadratic equation but not of the form ax
2
+ bx + c = 0
ac method a = 12 and c = 2
= (3y 2)(4y + 1)
Quadratic equation factor the left hand side (LHS)
Subtract 2 12y
2
5y 2 = 0
ac = (12)(-2) = - 24 factors of 24 that sum to - 5
1&-24, 2&-12, 3&-8, . . .
12y
2
5y 2 = 12y
2
+ 3y 8y 2
= 3y(4y + 1) 2(4y + 1)
12y
2
5y 2 = 0
Now the equation as given is of the form ab = 0
set each factor equal to 0 and solve
3y 2 = 0
3y = 2
4y + 1 = 0
4y = 1
Solution: y = 2/3 and y = {2/3, - }
y = 2/3 y =
12y
2
5y 2 = (3y - 2)(4y + 1) = 0
Ex: Solve 5x
2
= 6x
Quadratic equation but not of the form ax
2
+ bx + c = 0
5x
2
6x = x( ) 5x 6
5x
2
6x = x(5x 6) = 0
Now the equation as given is of the form ab = 0
set each factor equal to 0 and solve
x = 0
5x 6 = 0
5x = 6
Solution: x = 0 and 6/5 x = {0, 6/5}
Quadratic equation factor the left hand side (LHS)
Subtract 6x 5x
2
6x = 0
x = 6/5
Solving by taking square roots
An alternate method of solving a quadratic
equation is using the Principle of Taking
the Square Root of Each Side of an
Equation
If x
2
= a, then
x = +
a
Ex: Solve by taking square roots 3x
2
36 = 0
First, isolate x
2
: 3x
2
36 = 0
3x
2
= 36
x
2
= 12
Now take the square root of both sides:
12 x
2
=
12 x =
3 2 x =
x 2 2 3 =
Ex: Solve by taking square roots 4(z 3)
2
= 100
First, isolate the squared factor:
4(z 3)
2
= 100
(z 3)
2
= 25
Now take the square root of both sides:
25 ) 3 z (
2
=
25 3 z =
z 3 = + 5
z = 3 + 5
z = 3 + 5 = 8 and z = 3 5 = 2
Ex: Solve by taking square roots 5(x + 5)
2
75 = 0
First, isolate the squared factor:
5(x + 5)
2
= 75
(x + 5)
2
= 15
Now take the square root of both sides:
2
( x 5) 15 + =
x 5 15 + =
x 5 15 =
x 5 15, x 5 15 = + =
Completing the Square
Recall from factoring that a Perfect-Square
Trinomial is the square of a binomial:
Perfect square Trinomial Binomial Square
x
2
+ 8x + 16 (x + 4)
2
x
2
6x + 9 (x 3)
2
The square of half of the coefficient of x
equals the constant term:
( * 8 )
2
= 16
[ (-6)]
2
= 9
Completing the Square
Write the equation in the form x
2
+ bx = c
Add to each side of the equation [(b)]
2
Factor the perfect-square trinomial
x
2
+ bx + [(b)]
2
= c + [(b)]
2
Take the square root of both sides of the
equation
Solve for x
Ex: Solve w
2
+ 6w + 4 = 0 by completing the square
First, rewrite the equation with the constant on one
side of the equals and a lead coefficient of 1.
w
2
+ 6w = 4
Add [(b)]
2
to both sides: b =
6
6 [(6)]
2
= 3
2
= 9
w
2
+ 6w + 9 = 4 + 9
w
2
+ 6w + 9 = 5
(w + 3)
2
= 5
Now take the square root of both sides
5 ) 3 w (
2
= +
5 3 w = +
5 3 w =
} 5 3 , 5 3 { w + =
Ex: Solve 2r
2
= 3 5r by completing the square
First, rewrite the equation with the constant on one
side of the equals and a lead coefficient of 1.
2r
2
+ 5r = 3
Add [(b)]
2
to both sides: b =
(5/2)
5/2 [(5/2)]
2
= (5/4)
2

= 25/16
r
2
+ (5/2)r + 25/16 = (3/2) + 25/16
r
2
+ (5/2)r + 25/16 = 24/16 + 25/16
(r + 5/4)
2
= 49/16
Now take the square root of both sides
r
2
+ (5/2)r = (3/2)
16 / 49 ) 4 / 5 r (
2
= +
) 4 / 7 ( 4 / 5 r = +
) 4 / 7 ( ) 4 / 5 ( r =
r = - (5/4) + (7/4) = 2/4 =
and r = - (5/4) - (7/4) = -12/4 = - 3
r = { , - 3}
Ex: Solve 3p 5 = (p 1)(p 2)
Is this a quadratic equation? FOIL the RHS
3p 5 = p
2
2p p + 2
3p 5 = p
2
3p + 2
p
2
6p + 7 = 0
Collect all terms
A-ha . . .
Quadratic Equation complete the square
p
2
6p = 7 [(-6)]
2
= (-3)
2
= 9
p
2
6p + 9 = 7 + 9
(p 3)
2
= 2
2 ) 3 p (
2
=
2 3 p =
2 3 p =
} 2 3 , 2 3 { p + =
The Quadratic Formula
Consider a quadratic equation of the form
ax
2
+ bx + c = 0 for a nonzero
Completing the square


2
ax bx c
2
b c
x x
a a
2 2
2
2 2
b b c b
x x
a 4a a 4a
The Quadratic Formula
Solutions to ax
2
+ bx + c = 0 for a nonzero
are
2
2
2
b b 4ac
x
2a 4a
2
b b 4ac
x
2a
2 2
2
2 2 2
b b 4ac b
x x
a 4a 4a 4a
Ex: Use the Quadratic Formula to solve x
2
+ 7x + 6 = 0
Recall: For quadratic equation ax
2
+ bx + c = 0,
the solutions to a quadratic equation are given by
a 2
ac 4 b b
x
2

=
Identify a, b, and c in ax
2
+ bx + c = 0:
a = b = c = 1
1
7
7
6
6
Now evaluate the quadratic formula at the identified
values of a, b, and c
) 1 ( 2
) 6 )( 1 ( 4 7 7
x
2

=
2
24 49 7
x

=
2
25 7
x

=
2
5 7
x

=
x = ( - 7 + 5)/2 = - 1 and x = (-7 5)/2 = - 6
x = { - 1, - 6 }
Ex: Use the Quadratic Formula to solve
2m
2
+ m 10 = 0
Recall: For quadratic equation ax
2
+ bx + c = 0,
the solutions to a quadratic equation are given by
a
ac b b
m
2
4
2

=
Identify a, b, and c in am
2
+ bm + c = 0:
a = b = c = 2
2
1
1
- 10
10
Now evaluate the quadratic formula at the identified
values of a, b, and c
) 2 ( 2
) 10 )( 2 ( 4 1 1
m
2

=
4
80 1 1
m
+
=
4
81 1
m

=
4
9 1
m

=
m = ( - 1 + 9)/4 = 2 and m = (-1 9)/4 = - 5/2
m = { 2, - 5/2 }
Any questions . . .