MC Ty Quadeqns 2009 1
MC Ty Quadeqns 2009 1
MC Ty Quadeqns 2009 1
mc-TY-quadeqns-1
This unit is about the solution of quadratic equations. These take the form ax2 + bx + c = 0. We
will look at four methods: solution by factorisation, solution by completing the square, solution
using a formula, and solution using graphs
In order to master the techniques explained here it is vital that you undertake plenty of practice
exercises so that they become second nature.
After reading this text, and/or viewing the video tutorial on this topic, you should be able to:
solve quadratic equations by factorisation
solve quadratic equations by completing the square
solve quadratic equations using a formula
solve quadratic equations by drawing graphs
Contents
1. Introduction
www.mathcentre.ac.uk
c mathcentre 2009
1. Introduction
This unit is about how to solve quadratic equations. A quadratic equation is one which must
contain a term involving x2 , e.g. 3x2 , 5x2 or just x2 on its own. It may also contain terms
involving x, e.g. 5x or 7x, or 0.5x. It can also have constant terms - these are just numbers:
6, 7, 21 .
It cannot have terms involving higher powers of x, like x3 . It cannot have terms like
1
x
in it.
Key Point
A quadratic equation takes the form
ax2 + bx + c = 0
where a, b and c are numbers. The number a cannot be zero.
In this unit we will look at how to solve quadratic equations using four methods:
solution by factorisation
solution by completing the square
solution using a formula
solution using graphs
Factorisation and use of the formula are particularly important.
c mathcentre 2009
We now look for common factors. By observation there is a common factor of 3 in both terms.
This factor is extracted and written outside a pair of brackets. The contents of the brackets are
adjusted accordingly:
3x2 27 = 3(x2 9) = 0
If two quantities are multiplied together and the result is zero then either or both of the quantities
must be zero. So either
x3= 0
or
x+3=0
so that
x=3
or
x = 3
Example
Suppose we wish to solve 5x2 + 3x = 0.
We look to see if we can spot any common factors. There is a common factor of x in both
terms. This is extracted and written in front of a pair of brackets:
x(5x + 3) = 0
Then either x = 0 or 5x + 3 = 0 from which x = 35 . These are the two solutions.
In this example there is no constant term. A common error that students make is to cancel the
common factor of x in the original equation:
3
5x2 + 3
x=0
so that
5x + 3 = 0
giving x =
5
But if we do this we lose the solution x = 0. In general, when solving quadratic equations we
are looking for two solutions.
Example
Suppose we wish to solve x2 5x + 6 = 0.
We factorise the quadratic by looking for two numbers which multiply together to give 6, and
add to give 5. Now
3 2 = 6
3 + 2 = 5
so the two numbers are 3 and 2. We use these two numbers to write 5x as 3x 2x and
proceed to factorise as follows:
x2 5x + 6
x2 3x 2x + 6
x(x 3) 2(x 3)
(x 3)(x 2)
=
=
=
=
0
0
0
0
from which
so that
x3= 0
or
x2 =0
x=3
or
x=2
c mathcentre 2009
Example
Suppose we wish to solve the equation 2x2 + 3x 2 = 0.
To factorise this we seek two numbers which multiply to give 4 (the coefficient of x2 multiplied
by the constant term) and which add together to give 3.
4 1 = 4
4 + 1 = 3
so the two numbers are 4 and 1. We use these two numbers to write 3x as 4x x and then
factorise as follows:
2x2 + 3x 2
2x2 + 4x x 2
2x(x + 2) (x + 2)
(x + 2)(2x 1)
=
=
=
=
0
0
0
0
from which
x+2=0
or
2x 1 = 0
so that
x = 2
or
x=
1
2
6 + 6 = 12
so the two numbers are 6 and 6. We use these two numbers to write 12x as 6x 6x and
proceed to factorise as follows:
4x2 12x + 9
4x2 6x 6x + 9
2x(2x 3) 3(2x 3)
(2x 3)(2x 3)
=
=
=
=
0
0
0
0
from which
so that
2x 3 = 0
or
2x 3 = 0
3
3
or
x=
2
2
These are the two solutions, but we have obtained the same answer twice. So we can have
quadratic equations for which the solution is repeated.
x=
www.mathcentre.ac.uk
c mathcentre 2009
Example
Suppose we wish to solve x2 3x 2 = 0.
We are looking for two numbers which multiply to give 2 and add together to give 3. Never
mind how hard you try you will not find any such two numbers. So this equation will not factorise.
We need another approach. This is the topic of the next section.
Exercise 1
Use factorisation to solve the following quadratic equations
a) x2 3x + 2 = 0
b) 5x2 = 20
c) x2 5 = 4x
e)
x2 + 19x + 60 = 0
f) 2x2 + x 6 = 0
d)
g) 2x2 x 6 = 0 h)
2x2 = 10x
4x2 = 11x 6
In order to complete the square we look at the first two terms, and try to write them in the form
(
)2 . Clearly we need an x in the brackets:
(x + ?)2
because when the term in brackets is squared this will give the term x2
We also need the number 32 , which is half of the coefficient of x in the quadratic equation,
2
3
x
because when the term in brackets is squared this will give the term 3x
2
2
2
3
3
we see there is also a term
which we
However, removing the brackets from x
2
2
do not want, and so we subtract this again. So the quadratic equation can be written
2 2
3
3
2
x 3x 2 = x
2=0
2
2
Simplifying
2
3
9
x
2 = 0
2
4
2
17
3
= 0
x
2
4
2
17
3
=
x
2
4
17
17
3
x
=
or
2
2
2
17
3
17
3
+
or x =
x =
2
2
2
2
We can write these solutions as
3 + 17
3 17
x=
or
2
2
Again we have two answers. These are exact answers. Approximate values can be obtained using
a calculator.
www.mathcentre.ac.uk
c mathcentre 2009
Exercise 2
a) Show that x2 + 2x = (x + 1)2 1.
Hence, use completing the square to solve x2 + 2x 3 = 0.
b) Show that x2 6x = (x 3)2 9.
Hence use completing the square to solve x2 6x = 5.
c) Use completing the square to solve x2 5x + 1 = 0.
d) Use completing the square to solve x2 + 8x + 4 = 0.
b b2 4ac
. It is so important that you should learn
There is a formula for solving this: x =
2a
it.
Key Point
Formula for solving ax2 + bx + c = 0:
x=
b2 4ac
2a
Comparing this with the general form ax2 + bx + c = 0 we see that a = 1, b = 3 and c = 2.
These values are substituted into the formula.
b b2 4ac
x =
2a p
(3) (3)2 4 1 (2)
=
21
3 9+8
=
2
3 17
=
2
These solutions are exact.
www.mathcentre.ac.uk
c mathcentre 2009
Example
Suppose we wish to solve 3x2 = 5x 1.
First we write this in the standard form as 3x2 5x + 1 = 0 in order to identify the values of a,
b and c.
We see that a = 3, b = 5 and c = 1. These values are substituted into the formula.
b b2 4ac
x =
2a p
(5) (5)2 4 3 1
=
23
5 25 12
=
6
5 13
=
6
Again there are two exact solutions. Approximate values could be obtained using a calculator.
Exercise 3
Use the quadratic formula to solve the following quadratic equations.
a) x2 3x + 2 = 0 b) 4x2 11x + 6 = 0 c) x2 5x 2 = 0 d) 3x2 + 12x + 2 = 0
e)
2x2 = 3x + 1
f) x2 + 3 = 2x
g)
x2 + 4x = 10
h)
25x2 = 40x 16
(b)
a>0
a<0
(b)
y
(c)
y
c mathcentre 2009
The horizontal line, the x axis, corresponds to points on the graph where y = 0. So points where
the graph touches or crosses this axis correspond to solutions of ax2 + bx + c = 0.
In Figure 2, the graph in (a) never cuts or touches the horizontal axis and so this corresponds
to a quadratic equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 having no real roots.
The graph in (b) just touches the horizontal axis corresponding to the case in which the quadratic
equation has two equal roots, also called repeated roots.
The graph in (c) cuts the horizontal axis twice, corresponding to the case in which the quadratic
equation has two different roots.
What we have done in Figure 2 for the the case in which a is positive we can do for the case in
which a is negative. This case is shown in Figure 3.
(b)
y
(a)
y
(c)
y
1
1
3
2
2
0
0
0
2
2
1
1
3
2
4
2
3
4
9
6 9
2 2
4 2
4
16
12
2
2
5
25
15
2
8
From this table of values a graph can be plotted, or sketched as shown in Figure 4. From the
graph we observe that solutions of the equation x2 3x 2 = 0 lie between 1 and 0, and
between 3 and 4.
y
8
2
-2
-1
-2
Figure 4. Graph of y = x2 3x 2
www.mathcentre.ac.uk
c mathcentre 2009
Example
We can use the same graph to solve other equations. For example to solve x2 3x 2 = 6 we
can simply locate points where the graph crosses the line y = 6 as shown in Figure 5.
y
8
6
4
2
-2
-1
d) 0, 5 e) 4, 15 f) 2,
Exercise 2
a) 1, 3 b) 3
14 c)
Exercise 3
5+
33
b) 2, 43 c)
2
g) 2 14 h) 45 repeated.
a) 1, 2
21
d) 4
12 120
d)
6
Exercise 4
a) 4.6, 0.4 b) 5.4, 0.4 c) 5.2, 0.2
www.mathcentre.ac.uk
3
2
g) 2, 32
h) 2,
3
4
12
e)
17
f) No real roots
d) 6.7, 0.3
c mathcentre 2009