SM015 CHAPTER 2

EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

2.2 INEQUALITIES

1. Properties of inequalities
If a  b , then
a) a  c  b  c
b) a  c  b  c
c) ac  bc , c  0
d) ac  bc , c  0
1 1
e)  where a , b  0 or a , b  0
a b

2. A linear inequality in one variable x can be written in the form ax  b  0 , where a and
b are real numbers and a  0 .

3. A quadratic inequality in one variable x can be written in the form ax2  bx  c  0 ,

where a, b and c are real numbers and a  0 .

4. Quadratic inequalities can be solved by using graphical method or algebraic method.

5. Step of algebraic method (table of sign)

a) Use the properties of inequalities to obtain a zero on one side of the inequality.
b) Factorize, if possible, the quadratic expression on the left hand side.
c) Determine the critical values of x .
(A value for which a factor is zero is called a critical value of x )
d) Construct the table with interval and factors.
e) Choose a suitable value for each interval and evaluate each factor to determine the sign.

6. Inequalities involving rational expressions are called rational inequalities.

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 1
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

EXAMPLE

1. Find the solution set for the following inequalities.

a) 2x  10  8
b)  1  2x  1  3

Solution

a) 2x  10  8
2x  18
x9
Solution set is { x : x  9 }

b)  1  2x  1  3
0  2x  4
0x2
Solution set is { x : 0  x  2 }

2. Find the solution interval of inequality x 2  5x  6  0 .

Solution

x 2  5x  6  0
( x  2)(x  3)  0
Let x  2  0  x  2
x  3  0  x  3
y

3 2 x

Solution interval is (3 ,  2)

3. Find the solution interval of inequality x 2  2x  8  0 .

Solution

x 2  2x  8  0
( x  2)(x  4)  0
Let x  2  0  x  2
x4 0  x 4

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 2
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

x ( ,  2) (2 , 4) (4 , )
x2   
x4   
(x  2)(x  4)   
Solution interval is ( ,  2] [4 , )

PSPM 2006/2007
1 1
4. Find the solution set of the inequality  . [5 marks]
3  2x x  4

Solution

1 1

3  2x x  4
1 1
 0
3  2x x  4
1( x  4)  1(3  2 x)
0
(3  2 x)( x  4)
x  4  3  2x
0
(3  2 x)( x  4)
3x  1
0
(3  2 x)( x  4)
1
Let 3x  1  0  x  
3
3
3  2x  0  x 
2
x  4  0  x  4

x ( ,  4) 1 1 3 3
(4 ,  ) ( , ) ( ,)
3 3 2 2
3x  1    
3  2x    
x4    
3x  1    
(3  2 x)( x  4)
1 3
Solution set is { x :  4  x   or x  }
3 2

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 3
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

EXERCISE 2.2

PSPM 2012/2013
1 1
1. Determine the solution set of the inequality  . [6 marks]
2x  1 x  2

PSPM 2012/2013
2x 2  9x  4
2. Find the solution set of the inequality  4. [7 marks]
x2

PSPM 2013/2014
3. If x  1  0 , show that
a) 2x  1  0 . [3 marks]
2x  1
b)  2. [4 marks]
x 1

PSPM 2014/2015
1 1
4. Solve the inequality  . [6 marks]
6  x x 1

PSPM 2014/2015
 x  2
5. Find the solution set for the inequality 2     5. [7 marks]
 x 4

PSPM 2015/2016
2 x  42x
6. Show that x
 22x .
8
2 x  42x
Hence, find the interval for x so that x
 13(2 x )  36  0 . [9 marks]
8

PSPM 2016/2017
4x
7. Find the solution set for the inequality  x  4, x  3. [8 marks]
x3

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 4
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

PSPM 2017/2018
5
8. Find the interval of x for which the following inequalities are true  1  0 . [4 marks]
x3

PSPM 2018/2019
2 x
9. Determine the solution set of x which satisfies the inequality  . [7 marks]
x 1 x  3

PSPM 2018/2019
1 8
10. Solve  .
4  2x x

ANSWER

1
1) { x :  2  x  or x  3 }
2
3
2) { x : x  4 or  2  x  }
2
7
4) ( 1 , )  ( 6 ,  )
2
5
5) { x : x  or x  4 }
2
6) (   , 2 ]  [ 3.17 ,  )
7) { x : x  4 or 2  x  3 }
8) ( ,  3)  [ 2 ,  )
9) { x : x  3 or  2  x  1 or x  3 }
32
10) (   , 0 )  [ ,2)
17

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 5
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

SOLUTION EXERCISE 2.2

1 1
1. 
2x  1 x  2
1 1
 0
2x  1 x  2
1( x  2)  1(2 x  1) Let all factor  0
0
(2 x  1)( x  2) 3 x  0  x  3
x  2  2x  1 1
0 2x  1  0  x 
(2 x  1)( x  2) 2
3 x
0
x  2  0  x  2
(2 x  1)( x  2)

x (   ,  2) 1 1 (3 , )
( 2 , ) ( , 3)
2 2
3 x    
2x  1    
x2    
3 x    
(2 x  1)( x  2)
1
Solution set is { x :  2  x  or x  3 } .
2

2x 2  9x  4
2. 4
x2
2x 2  9x  4
40
x2 Let all factor  0
2 x 2  9 x  4  4( x  2) 3
0 2x  3  0  x 
x2 2
2x 2  9x  4  4x  8 x  4  0  x  4
0
x2 x  2  0  x  2
2 x 2  5 x  12
0
x2
(2x  3)( x  4)
0
x2

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 6
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

x (   ,  4) (  4 ,  2) 3 3
( 2 , ) ( , )
2 2
2x  3    
x4    
x2    
(2 x  3)( x  4)    
x2
3
Solution set is { x : x  4 or  2  x  }
2

3. If x  1  0
a) 2x  1  2x  2
 2( x  1)
2x  1  0 since x  1  0

2x  1 2 x  1  2( x  1)
b) 2 
x 1 x 1
2x  1  2x  2

x 1
3

x 1
2x  1
 2  0 since x  1  0
x 1
2x  1
2
x 1

1 1
4. 
6  x x 1
1 1 Let all factor  0
 0
6  x x 1 7
1( x  1)  1(6  x) 2x  7  0  x 
0 2
(6  x)( x  1) 6 x  0  x  6
x 1 6  x x 1  0  x  1
0
(6  x)( x  1)
2x  7
0
(6  x)( x  1)

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 7
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

x (   , 1) 7 7 ( 6,  )
(1 , ) ( , 6)
2 2
2x  7    
6 x    
x 1    
2x  7    
(6  x)( x  1)
7
Solution interval is ( 1 , )(6,)
2

 x  2
5. 2 5
 x 4
x2
3 0 Let all factor  0
x4
 3( x  4)  x  2 10  4x  0  x 
5
0
x4 2
 3x  12  x  2 x4  0  x  4
0
x4
10  4 x
0
x4
x 5 5 (4 , )
(  , ) ( , 4)
2 2
10  4x   
x4   
10  4x   
x4
5
Solution set is { x : x  or x  4 }
2

2 x  4 2 x 2 x  2 2( 2 x )
6.  a x y  a x a y
8x 23x
 2 x  4 x 3 x ax
 22x y
 a x y
a
2 x  42x
x
 13(2 x )  36  0
8

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 8
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

2 2 x  13(2 x )  36  0
2 2 x  (2 x ) 2
Let y  2 x
y 2  13 y  36  0
( y  4)(y  9)  0

y (   , 4 ) (4 , 9) ( 9 , ) Let all factor  0

y40  y  4
y4   
y 9  0  y  9
y 9   
y4   
y9
y4 or y 9
2 x  22 2x  9
x2 log 2 x  log 9 log a b  b log a
x log2  log9
log 9
x
log 2
x  3.17
Solution interval is (   , 2 ]  [ 3.17 ,  )

4x
7.  x4
x3
4 x
 ( x  4)  0
x 3
 4  x  ( x  4)( x  3)
0
x 3
 4  x  ( x 2  x  12)
0
x 3
 4  x  x 2  x  12
0
x3
 x 2  2x  8
0
x3
 ( x 2  2 x  8) Let all factor  0
0
x3
x  4  0  x  4
x 2  2x  8
0 x20  x  2
x3
( x  4)( x  2) x 3  0  x  3
0
x 3

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 9
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

x (  ,  4 ) ( 4 , 2 ) ( 2 , 3) ( 3,  )
x4    
x2    
x 3    
( x  4)( x  2)    
x 3
Solution set is { x : x  4 or 2  x  3 }

5
8. 1  0
x3
5  1( x  3)
0
x3 Let all factor  0
5 x3
0
x3 2 x  0  x  2
2x x  3  0  x  3
0
x3

x (   ,  3) (  3, 2 ) ( 2,  )
2x   
x3   
2x   
x3
Solution interval is (   ,  3 )  [ 2 ,  )

2 x
9. 
x 1 x  3
2 x
 0
x 1 x  3
2( x  3)  x( x  1)
0
( x  1)( x  3)
Let all factor  0
2x  6  x 2  x
0
( x  1)( x  3) x  2  0  x  2
 x2  x  6 x 3  0  x  3
0
( x  1)( x  3) x 1  0  x  1
 ( x 2  x  6) x  3  0  x  3
0
( x  1)( x  3)

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 10
 SM015 CHAPTER 2
EQUATIONS, INEQUALITIES AND ABSOLUTE VALUES

( x  2)( x  3)
0
( x  1)( x  3)

x (  ,  3) (  3,  2 ) (  2 ,  1) (  1, 3 ) ( 3,  )
x2     
x 3     
x 1     
x3     
( x  2)( x  3)     
( x  1)( x  3)

Solution set is { x : x  3 or  2  x  1 or x  3 }

1 8
10. 
4  2x x
1 8
 0
4  2x x Let all factor  0
1( x)  8(4  2 x)
0
(4  2 x) x 17 x  32  0  x 
32
x  32  16 x 17
0
(4  2 x) x x0
17 x  32 4  2x  0  x  2
0
x( 4  2 x)

x (   , 0) 32 32 (2 , )
(0 , ) ( , 2)
17 17
17x  32    
x    
4  2x    
17 x  32    
x( 4  2 x)
32
Solution interval is (   , 0 )  [ ,2)
17

CHENG CHUN LIANG & CHIN HAK CHUN UNIT MATEMATIK KMK Page 11