Problem

Student Name : Student Date: 04/25/2024 10:46 PM

Marcofragoso0
Login Name : SMARCOFRAGOSO0 Class Name : PreCalculus and
Problem Solving

Polynomial and Rational Functions

Solving a quadratic inequality

SAMPLE QUESTION

Graph the solution to the following inequality on the number line.

2
− x + 2x ≥ − 3

EXPLANATION

2
We first rewrite the inequality so that one side is zero and the coefficient of the x -term is positive.

2
x − 2x − 3 ≤ 0
We can factor the left side to get the following.

x+1 x−3 ≤0

We need to find all values of x that make the product x + 1 x − 3 negative or equal to 0.
To find these values, we do a sign analysis.

We first look at the sign of x+1 .

If x = − 1, then x + 1 is 0.
If x < − 1, then x + 1 is negative.
If x > − 1, then x + 1 is positive.

We show this on the number line.

−1

sign of x + 1 : − − − − − − − − − − 0 ++++++++++++

We then look at the sign of x−3 .

 If x = 3, then x−3 is 0.
If x < 3, then x−3 is negative.
If x > 3, then x−3 is positive.
−1 3

sign of x + 1 : − − − − − − − − − − 0 ++++++++++++
sign of x − 3 : − − − − − − − − − − − − − − 0 + + + + + + + +

Finally, to find the sign of x+1 x−3 , we use the rules for the sign of a product.
−1 3

sign of x + 1 : − − − − − − − − − − 0 ++++++++++++
sign of x − 3 : − − − − − − − − − − − − − − 0 + + + + + + + +

positive 0 negative 0 positive

product product product

So, we have x + 1 x − 3 ≤ 0 when − 1 ≤ x and x ≤ 3.

Note that for x = − 1 and x = 3, the product x + 1 x − 3 is 0 and so these values are part of the solution.

We graph the solution on the number line as follows.

ANOTHER EXPLANATION
We first rewrite the inequality so that one side is zero and the y
10
2
coefficient of the x -term is positive. 8

6
2
x − 2x − 3 ≤ 0 4

2
2 x
We next graph y = x − 2x − 3, which is a parabola.
-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 2 4 6 8 10
-2
As shown in Figure 1, this parabola opens upward and has
-4
vertex 1, − 4 .
-6
1, − 4

-8
2
The x-values satisfying the inequality x − 2x − 3 ≤ 0 are the -10
2
x-values of points on the parabola y = x − 2x − 3 that are on Figure 1
or below the x-axis. Looking at Figure 2, we can see that
these x-values lie on the shaded part of the x-axis. To
determine the solution exactly, however, we need to know
exactly where the parabola intersects the x-axis.

2
The parabola y = x − 2x − 3 intersects the x-axis when
2
y = 0. So to find the x-values that make y = x − 2x − 3 zero,
2
we solve the quadratic equation x − 2x − 3 = 0.

2 y
x − 2x − 3 = 0 8

x+1 x−3 =0 6

x= −1 4

2
x
So the parabola intersects the x-axis at x = − 1 and x = 3.
-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 2 4 6 8 10
These are the endpoints of the solution interval shown in Figure -2
2
2. That is, the solution to the inequality − x + 2x ≥ − 3 is as -4
1, − 4
follows. -6

-8
−1≤x≤3
Graphing the solution on the number line gives the answer. Figure 2

ANSWER
-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10