NATURE OF ROOTS

A SUGGESTED GUIDED INVESTIGATIVE APPROACH

REVIEW:

ROOTS: the values of the variable that makes the equation true ie. the answers, are called the roots of the equation.

CLASSIFICATION OF NUMBERS: Real or Non Real (Imaginary); Rational or Irrational

−𝑏 ± √𝑏2 −4𝑎𝑐
QUADRATIC FORMULA: 𝑥 = 2𝑎
 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Solve the following equations using the Quadratic Formula.

2. Write the roots next to the box at the bottom..
3. Write the answer inside the radical sign in the box.
4. Generalise using answers you wrote in the box against their roots.
By writing whether the roots are equal , Unequal , Real or Non-Real
1.1 𝟗𝒙𝟐 − 𝟔𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟎 1.2 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒𝒙 + 𝟐 = 𝟎

a= , b= ,c= a= , b= ,c=

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥= 𝑥=
2𝑎 2𝑎

1.3 𝟐𝒙𝟐 − 𝟑𝒙 − 𝟐 = 𝟎 1.4 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟐 = 𝟎

a= , b= ,c= a= , b= ,c=

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥= 𝑥=
2𝑎 2𝑎
1.5 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟒𝒙 + 𝟒 = 𝟎 1.6 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟕𝒙 + 𝟑 = 𝟎

a= , b= ,c= a= , b= ,c=

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥= 𝑥=
2𝑎 2𝑎

1.7 𝟓𝒙𝟐 − 𝟕𝒙 + 𝟑 = 𝟎 1.8 𝟑𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟎

a= , b= ,c= a= , b= ,c=

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥= 𝑥=
2𝑎 2𝑎
1.9 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 = 𝟎 1.10 −𝟒𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟓 = 𝟎

a= , b= ,c= a= , b= ,c=

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥= 𝑥=
2𝑎 2𝑎

1.11 𝟓𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙 − 𝟒 = 𝟎 1.12 𝟐𝟓 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟕𝟎𝒙 + 𝟒𝟗 = 𝟎

a= , b= ,c= a= , b= ,c=

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
𝑥= 𝑥=
2𝑎 2𝑎
DISCRIMINANT ( Δ ):
The terms included under the square root sign in the Quadratic Formula:
i.e. Δ = 𝒃𝟐 − 𝟒𝒂𝒄

THE NATURE OF THE ROOTS OF THE QUADRATIC EQUATION IS DETERMINED BY

THE VALUE OF THE DISCRIMINANT (GREEK LETTER CALLED DELTA)

∆= 𝒃𝟐 − 𝟒𝒂𝒄 Nature of roots

∆≥𝟎 Real
∆<𝟎 Non – Real
∆ = 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆 Real , Rational ; Unequal
∆ ≠ 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆 Real ; Irrational ; Unequal
∆=𝟎 Real ; Rational ; Equal

Value of the Type and number of

Example of graph
discriminant Solutions

Two Real Solutions

Positive
Discriminant If the discriminant is a
perfect square the roots
b² − 4ac > 0 are rational. Otherwise,
they are irrational.

Discriminant is
Zero
One Real Solution

b² − 4ac = 0

Negative
Discriminant No Real Solutions
Two Imaginary Solutions
b² − 4ac < 0
2. Determine the nature of the roots of the following equations:
(This means that we do not have to determine the actual values for the variable, eg. 𝑥 , only the
value of Δ from which the nature of the roots may be determined)

EXAMPLE 2.1
2
2𝑥 − 7𝑥 + 3 = 0 2𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 − 16 = 0
SOLUTION
a = 2 , b = -7 , c = 3

Δ = 𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
= (−7)2 − 4(2)(3)
= 49 − 16
= 25
Δ is a perfect square
∴ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍; 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍; 𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍

2.2 2.3
8𝑦(2𝑦 − 1) = −1 3𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + 9 = 0

2.4 ***2.5
−2(3𝑦 + 4)(𝑦 − 1) = 5 𝑎2 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑎𝑥 + 2 = 0
SUMMARY

To answer questions on the questions on the Nature of the Roots, we go through

the following steps:

1. Write the equation in standard form: 𝑎𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0 and get the values

for 𝑎; 𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐.

2. Calculate the value of ∆

3. Three types of questions may be asked:

3.1 You have to determine the nature of the roots from the value of ∆
that you already obtained.

3.2 You have to determine the value of an unknown while the nature of
the roots is given.

3.3 You have to prove / show that the roots have a certain given nature.
3. EXAMPLE
For which value(s) of 𝑘 will 3(𝑥 + 1) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑘 + 𝑥 have real roots?

SOLUTION
3𝑥 + 3 = 𝑥 2 + 𝑘 + 𝑥
−𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 𝑥 + 3 − 𝑘 = 0
−𝑥 2 + 2𝑥 + (3 − 𝑘) = 0
𝛥 = (2)2 − 4(−1)(3 − 𝑘)
= 4 + 4(3 − 𝑘)
= 4 + 12 − 4𝑘
= 16 − 4𝑘
For real roots Δ ≥ 0
16 − 4𝑘 ≥ 0
−4𝑘 ≥ −16
𝑘≤4

4. EXAMPLE
Prove that the roots of 2𝑥 2 + (1 − 2𝑛)𝑥 − 𝑛 = 0 are rational and unequal if 𝑛 is an integer.

SOLUTION:

∆ = (1 − 2𝑛)2 − 4(2)(−𝑛)
= 1 − 4𝑛 + 4𝑛2 + 8𝑛
= 4𝑛2 + 4𝑛 + 1
= (2𝑛 + 1)2
1
= 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ∆> 0 Note that ∆ ≠ 0, 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑛 ≠ − 2 (𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟)
∴ 𝑅𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙

5. EXAMPLE
Show that the roots of 𝑥 2 − 𝑘𝑥 + 𝑘 + 𝑥 = 3 are real for all real values of k.

SOLUTION
𝑥 2 − (𝑘 − 1)𝑥 + 𝑘 − 3 = 0 Standard form
∆ = 𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐
= [−(𝑘 − 1)]2 − 4(1)(𝑘 − 3)
= 𝑘 2 − 2𝑘 + 1 − 4𝑘 + 12
= 𝑘 2 − 6𝑘 + 13
= 𝑘 2 − 6𝑘 + 9 − 9 + 13 Completing the square
= (𝑘 − 3)2 + 4
𝑁𝑜𝑤 (𝑘 − 3)2 ≥ 0
∴ (𝑘 − 3)2 + 4 ≥ 4
∴ ∆> 0
∴ 𝑅𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙