Quadratic Inequalities

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Quadratic Inequalities
Lesson outcomes:

Sketch quadratic graphs

Solve quadratic inequalities
Apply to word problems and real life

Statement of inquiry:

Generalizing changes helps establish

relationships that can model duration,
frequency and variability.
Reminder: Inequalities

We want to solve 2𝑥 + 1 > 5

How many solutions are there to this
inequality?
Infinitely many! 𝑥 could be 3, 8, 4.29, etc. Bro Side Notes: Equations and
? inequalities are not limited to just one
solution: we have seen that quadratics
How do we represent the set of all solutions equations often have 2 solutions, and in
to this inequality? this example it would not be possible to
𝑥>2 ‘list’ all the solutions because there are
? than 2”
i.e. “any real number greater infinitely many!

In this particular example, known as a linear inequality, the

range of solutions was simple. But for quadratic inequalities,
this might be more complex…
Quadratic Inequalities
By trial and error (or otherwise!), try and think of the range
(or ranges) of values that satisfies the following inequality.
Your values need not be whole numbers.

𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 15 > 0

Anything above 3 or below -5 works, e.g.

when 𝑥 is 4: 42 + 2 4 − 15 = 9 and 9 > 0
?
𝑥 < −5 𝑜𝑟 𝑥 > 3

You may have spotted that the -5 and 3 are

solutions to the equation 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 15 = 0.
How then can we get the inequality from these
values without guess work?
 Solving Quadratic Inequalities

Solve 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 15 > 0
Step 1: Get 0 on one side
(already done!)

𝑥 + 5 𝑥? − 3 > 0 Step 2: Factorise

Step 3: Sketch and reason

𝑦
𝑦 = (𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 − 3)
Since we sketched 𝑦 = (𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 − 3)
we’re interested where 𝑦 > 0, i.e. the
parts of the line where the 𝑦 value is
𝑥 positive.
−5 3
Click to Bro-Bolden >

What can you say about What can you say about
the 𝑥 values of points in the 𝑥 values of points in 𝑥 < −5 or 𝑥 > 3
this region? this region? Bro Note: If the 𝑦 value?
is ‘strictly’ greater than
𝒙 < −𝟓 𝒙>𝟑 0, i.e. > 0, then the 𝑥 value is strictly less than -5.
? ? So the < vs ≤ must match the original question.
Solving Quadratic Inequalities

Solve 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 − 15 ≤ 0
Step 1: Get 0 on one side
(already done!)

𝑥+5 𝑥−3 ≤ 0 Step 2: Factorise

Step 3: Sketch and reason

𝑦
𝑦 = (𝑥 + 5)(𝑥 − 3)

? Sketch with
−5highlighted
3
𝑥
region ? Final
−5 ≤ solution
𝑥≤3
Again, what can we say about the 𝑥 Bro Note: We could write Bro Note: As discussed
value of any point in this region? “𝑥 ≥ −5 and 𝑥 ≤ 3” but previously, we need ≤
the above better rather than < to be
expresses that 𝑥 is consistent with the
“between” -5 and 3. original inequality.
Further Examples
Solve 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟓𝒙 ≥ −𝟒 Solve 𝒙𝟐 < 𝟗
𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 4 ≥ 0 𝑥2 − 9 < 0
𝑥+4 𝑥+1 ≥0 𝑥+3 𝑥−3 <0
𝑦 𝑦
𝑦 = (𝑥 + 4)(𝑥 + 1) 𝑦 = (𝑥 + 3)(𝑥 − 3)

? ?
𝑥 3 𝑥
−4 −1 −3

𝑥 ≤ −4 or 𝑥 ≥ −1 −3 < 𝑥 < 3

Note: The most common error I’ve seen students make with quadratic inequalities is to skip the ‘sketch step’.
Sod’s Law states that even though you have a 50% chance of getting it right without a sketch (presuming you’ve
factorised correctly), you will get it wrong.
 Skills for DP

Solve 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟓𝒙 ≥ −𝟒
𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 4 ≥ 0
Use a substitution table
𝑥+4 𝑥+1 ≥0
𝑦
x 2 -1 -2 -4 -6
𝑦 = (𝑥 + 4)(𝑥 + 1)
y

−1
𝑥
−4

Check against the original inequality

𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 4 ≥ 0
𝑥 ≤ −4 or 𝑥 ≥ −1
Test Your Understanding
1 Solve 𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙 − 𝟔 ≤ 𝟎
𝑥+2 𝑥−3 ≤0
−2 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 3 ?

2 Solve 𝟐𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟐 𝟐 > 𝟑𝒙

2𝑥 2 + 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 4 > 3𝑥
3𝑥 2 − 7𝑥 + 4 > 0
3𝑥 − 4 ?𝑥 − 1 > 0
Extension:

Verify your solution

using a substitution
table.
Your turn! TASK ONE
1 Solve the following:

a 𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 − 6 > 0 𝒙 < −𝟏 ?
𝒐𝒓 𝒙 > 𝟔
b 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 4 ≤ 0 −𝟒 ≤ 𝒙 ≤?𝟏 3 Solve the following:
c 𝑥2 − 9 ≥ 0 ? 𝒙≥𝟑
𝒙 ≤ −𝟑 𝒐𝒓 a 2𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 1 ≤ 0 −𝟏 ≤ 𝒙 ?≤ − 𝟏𝟐
d 𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 + 12 < 0 −𝟔 < 𝒙 ?< −𝟐
b 3𝑥 2 − 7𝑥 − 6 > 0 𝒙 < − 𝟐𝟑 ?
𝒐𝒓 𝒙 > 𝟑
e 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 10 ≥ 0 𝒙 ≤ −𝟐?𝒐𝒓 𝒙 ≥ 𝟓 𝟏
c 4𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 1 > 0 𝒙≠ ?
𝟐
2 Solve the following:
a 𝑥 + 3 2 ≤ 16 −𝟕 ≤ 𝒙 ?≤𝟏
𝟑 𝟑
b 4𝑥 2 ≥ 9 𝒙 ≤ −𝟐 ?𝒐𝒓 𝒙 ≥ 𝟐
c 𝑦2 + 𝑦 > 12 ?
𝒚 < −𝟒 𝒐𝒓 𝒚>𝟑
d 16 − 𝑥 2 < 0 ?
𝒙 < −𝟒 𝒐𝒓 𝒙>𝟒
e 𝑥 + 1 2 + 𝑥 + 2 2 < 25 −𝟓 <?𝒙 < 𝟐
𝟗
f 10 − 2𝑥 + 1 2 ≥ 𝑥 − ≤?𝒙 ≤ 𝟏
𝟒

(Requires knowledge of sketching cubics/quartics) Extension

N
Solve the following:
a 𝑥−1 𝑥−2 𝑥−3 > 0 𝟏 < 𝒙 < 𝟐?𝒐𝒓 𝒙 > 𝟑
b 𝑥−1 𝑥−2 𝑥−3 < 0 𝒙 < 𝟏 𝒐𝒓 ?
𝟐<𝒙<𝟐
c 𝑥2 − 9 𝑥2 − 4 > 0 𝒙 < −𝟑 𝒐𝒓 − 𝟐 ?< 𝒙 < 𝟐 𝒐𝒓 𝒙 > 𝟑
Real life example
Your turn! TASK TWO
Solutions
Extension: Real life example with rational expressions

36.1 meters
Extension: Cubics

Solve
To finish:
Think pair share,
Write an inequality that describes the shaded region.