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Module 2: The Quadratic Formula: Section V: Quadratic Equations and Functions
Module 2: The Quadratic Formula: Section V: Quadratic Equations and Functions
You should remember from your course on introductory algebra that you can use the quadratic
formula to solve quadratic equations.
If ax 2 bx c 0 , then x b b 2 4ac .
2a
5 5 2 4 2 (10)
x
22
5 25 80
4
5 105
4
5 105 5 105
Thus, the solutions are x or x , so the solution set is
4 4
5 105 5 105
, .
4 4
5 9
EXAMPLE: Solve 2 .
x 2 x
SOLUTION: This isn’t a quadratic equation (in fact, it is a rational equation). But if we clear the
fractions by multiplying both sides of the equation be the least common
denominator (which is x 2 ) we will obtain a quadratic equation:
2
5 9
2 2
x x
5 9
x2 2 2 x2
x x
2 x2 5 9x
2x2 9 x 5 0
9 41 9 41
Thus, the solution set is , .
4 4
SOLUTION:
2 x2 5x 7
2 x2 5x 7 0 (rewrite in standard form).
5 i 31 5 i 31
Thus, the solution set is , .
4 4
3
3 32 4 1 4
x
2 1
3 9 16
2
3 7
2
3 i 7
2
3 i 7 3 i 7
Thus, the solution set is , .
2 2
Since the radicand is negative in the example above, the solutions to the quadratic equation
are complex numbers. The radicand in the quadratic formula is called the discriminant.
b 2 4ac .
b 2 4ac (3)2 4 5 2
9 40
31
The discriminant tells us the nature of the solutions to any quadratic equation; see the table
below.
4
EXAMPLE: Describe the nature of the solutions to the quadratic equations based on their
discriminants.
a. 2 x 2 5 x 1 c. 3x 2 6 x 3 0
b. x 2 4 x 5 d. 4 x 2 7 x 2
SOLUTION:
a. 2 x 2 5 x 1 2 x 2 5 x 1 0
b. x 2 4 x 5 x 2 4 x 5 0
c. 3x 2 6 x 3 0
d. 4 x 2 7 x 2 4 x 2 7 x 2 0