Linear Equation and Quadratic Equation

Morales, Francisco Raphael Sarmiento, Miguel Alfonso Zapata, John Patrick

Linear Equation
AN EQUATION is an algebraic statement in which the verb is "equals" = . An equation involves an unknown number, typically called x. Here is a simple example: x + 64 = 100. "Some number, plus 64, equals 100." We say that an equation has two sides: the left side, x + 64, and the right side, 100. In what is called a linear equation, x appears only to the first power, as in the equation above. A linear equation is also called an equation of the first degree. (The degree of any equation is the highest exponent that appears on the unknown number.)

Now, the statement -- the equation -- will become true only when the unknown has a certain value, which is called the solution to the equation. The solution to that equation is 36 -- which is easily found by subtracting: x = 100 64 x = 36. 36 is the only value for which the statement, "x + 64 = 100," will be true. We say that x = 36 satisfies the equation. Now, algebra depends on how things look. As far as how things look, then, we will know that we have solved an equation when we have isolated x on the left. Why the left? Because that is how we read, from left to right. "x equals . . ."

In the standard form of a linear equation -- ax + b = 0 -- x appears on the left, not the right. In fact, we are about to see that for any equation that looks like this: x + a = b, the solution will look like this: x = b a.

Inverse operations There are two pairs of inverse operations. Addition and subtraction, multiplication and division. Formally, to solve an equation we must isolate the unknown(typically x) on the left. ax b + c = d. To solve that equation, we must get a, b, c over to the right, so that x alone is on the left.

The question is: How do we shift a number from one side of an equation to the other? Answer: By writing it on the other side with the inverse operation. For, that preserves the arithmetical relationship on the one hand between addition and subtraction: 100 64 = 36 implies 100 = 36 + 64; and on the other, between multiplication and division: 10/2 = 5 implies 10 = 2.5 Algebra is, after all, abstracted -- drawn from -- arithmetic.

And so, to solve this equation: ax b + c=d then since b is subtracted on the left, we will add it on the right: ax + c=d + b. Since c is added on the left, we will subtract it on the right: ax=d + b c. And finally, since a multiplies on the left, we will divide it on the right: x=d + b c a We have solved the equation.

The four forms of equations Solving any linear equation, then, will fall into four forms, corresponding to the four operations of arithmetic. The following constitute the basic rules for solving any linear equation. In each case, we will shift a to the other side. 1. If x + a = b, then x = b a. "If a number is added on one side of an equation, we may subtract it on the other side." 2. If x a = b, then x = b + a. "If a number is subtracted on one side of an equation, we may add it on the other side."

3. If ax = b, then x = b
a. "If a number multiplies one side of an equation, we may divide it on the other side." 4. If x = b, then x = ab. a "If a number divides one side of an equation, we may multiply it on the other side." In every case, we shifter a to the other side by means of the inverseoperation. Every linear equation can be solved by combining those four formal rules.

Transposing When the operations are addition or subtraction, that is called transposing. We may shift a term to the other side of an equation by changing its sign. + a goes to the other side as a. a goes to the other side as + a. Transposing is one of the most characteristic operations of algebra, and it is thought to be the meaning of the word algebra, which is of Arabic origin. (Arabic mathematicians learned algebra in India, from where they introduced it into Europe.) Transposing is the technique of those who actually use algebra in science and mathematics -- because it is skillful. And as we are about to see, it maintains the clear, logical sequence of statements. Moreover, it emphasizes that we do algebra with our eyes.

When we see
x + a=b, then we immediately see that +a goes to the other side as a: x=b a. The way that is often taught these days, is to add ato both sides, draw a line, and add:

A logical sequence of statements In an algebraic sentence, the verb is typically the equal sign = . ax b + c = d. That sentence -- that statement -- will logically imply other statements. Let us follow the logical sequence that leads to the final statement, which is the solution. (1) ax b + c = d implies (2) ax = d + b c implies (3) x = d + b c . a The original equation (1) is "transformed" by first transposing the terms. Statement (1) implies statement (2). That statement is then transformed by dividing by a. Statement (2) implies statement (3), which is the solution.

Thus we solve an equation by transforming it -changing its form -- statement by statement, line by line according to the rules of algebra, until x finally is isolated on the left. That is how books on mathematics are written (but unfortunately not books that teach algebra!). Each line is its own readable statement that follows from the line above - with no crossings out In other words, What is a calculation? It is a discrete transformation of symbols. In arithmetic we transform "19 + 5" into "24". In algebra we transform "x + a = b" into "x = b a."

Transposing versus exchanging sides Example 1. a + b = c x We can easily solve this -- in one line -- simply by transposing x to the left, and what is on the left, to the right: x = c a b. Example 2. a + b = c + x In this Example, +x is on the right. Since we want +x on the left, we can achieve that by exchanging sides: c+x=a+b Note: When we exchange sides, no signs change. The solution easily follows: c+x=a+bc In summary, when x is on the right, it is skillful simply to transpose it. But when +x is on the right, we may exchange the sides.

Canceling If equal terms appear on both sides of an equation, then we may "cancel" them. x + b + d = c + d. d appears on both sides. Therefore, we may cancel them. x + b = c. Theoretically, we can say that we subtracted d from both sides. Finally, on solving for x: x = c b.

The unknown on both sides Example 3. Solve for x : 4x 3=2x 11. 1. Transpose the x's to the left and the numbers to the right: 4x 2x=11 + 3. 2. Collect like terms, and solve: 2x=8 x=4. This is another example of doing algebra with your eyes. You should see that 2x goes to the left as 2x, and that 3 goes to the right as +3. As a general rule for solving any linear equation, we can now state the following: Transpose all the terms that involve the unknown to the left, and add them; transpose the remaining terms to the right; make 1 the final coefficient of the unknown, by dividing or multiplying.

Simple fractional equations Example 4. x = 4. 2 Since 2 divides on the left, it will multiply on the right: x=2 4 =8. Example 5. Solve for x: 4 x = 5. Solution. In the standard form of a simple fractional equation, x is in the numerator. But we can easiy make that standard form by taking thereciprocal of both sides. x= 1 4 5 This implies x = 4 1 5 = 4 5.

Example 6. Fractional coefficient. 3x =y 4 Since 4 divides on the left, it will multiply on the right: 3x=4y. And since 3 multiplies on the left, it will divide on the right: x=4y 3 In other words, 3 goes to the other side as its reciprocal, 4 4 3. Note that 3 is the coefficient of x : 4 3x = 3 4 4x. Coefficients go to the other side as their reciprocals!

Linear Equation

Let's draw the graph of this equation.

One method we could use is to find the x and y values of two points that satisfy the equation, plot each point, and then draw a line through the points. We can start with any two x values we like, and then find y for each x by substituting the x values into the equation. Let's start with x = 1.
Value of x y =1/2 x + 2 Value of y

1
2

y=.1+2=+2
y=.2+2=+2

2.5
3

Let's plot these points and draw a line through them.

Graphing Using Slope and Y-Intercept

There's another way to graph an equation using your knowledge of slope and y-intercept. Look at the equation again. We can find the slope and y-intercept of the line just by looking at the equation: m = 1/2 and y intercept = 2. Just by looking at these values, we already know one point on the line! The y-intercept gives us the point where the line intersects the y-axis, so we know the coordinates of that point are (0, 2), since the x value of any point that lies on the y axis is zero.

To find the second point, we can use the slope of the line. The slope is , which gives us the change in the y value over the change in the x value. The change in the x value, the denominator, is 2, so we move to the right 2 units. The change in the y value, the numerator, is positive one. We move up one unit. This gives us the second point we need. Now we can draw the line through the points.

Examples:

Quadratic Equation
A QUADRATIC is a polynomial whose highest exponent is 2. ax + bx + c. Question 1. What is the standard form of a quadratic equation? ax + bx + c = 0 The quadratic is on the left. 0 is on the right.

Question 2. What do we mean by a root of a quadratic? A solution to the quadratic equation. For example, the roots of this quadratic x + 2x 8 are 4 and 2. For, we can factor that quadratic as (x + 4)(x 2).

Now, if x = 4, then the first factor will be 0. While if x = 2, the second factor will be 0. But if any factor is 0, then the entire product will be 0. That is, if x = 4 or 2, then x + 2x 8 = 0. Therefore, 4 and 2 are the solutions to the quadratic equation. They are the roots of that quadratic. Question 3. How many roots has a quadratic? Always two. Because a quadratic (with leading coefficient 1, at least) can always be factored as (x a)(x b), and a,b are the two roots. Note that if a factor is (x + q), then the root is q. For, (x + q) can take the form (x a): (x + q) = [x (q)]. q is the root,

Question 4. What do we mean by a double root? The two roots are equal. That is, the factors are (x a)(x a), so that the two roots are a, a. For example, this quadratic x 10x + 25 can be factored as (x 5)(x 5). If x = 5, then each factor will be 0, and therefore the quadratic will be 0. 5 is called a double root. When will a quadratic have a double root? When the quadratic is a perfect square trinomial.

The quadratic formula Here is the quadratic formula -- which is proved by completing the square In other words, the quadratic formula completes the square for us. Theorem. If ax + bx + c = 0, then

We will prove this below. Example 4. Use the quadratic formula to solve this quadratic equation: 3x + 5x 8 = 0