Question

When factoring a polynomial in the form ax^2 + bx-c, where a, b, and c are positive real numbers, should the signs in the binomials be both positive, negative, or one of each? Create an example to verify your claim.

279

likes
1397 views

Answer to a math question When factoring a polynomial in the form ax^2 + bx-c, where a, b, and c are positive real numbers, should the signs in the binomials be both positive, negative, or one of each? Create an example to verify your claim.

Expert avatar
Esmeralda
4.7
102 Answers
1. Consider the polynomial \( ax^2 + bx - c \).
2. We need to factor it into binomials: \( (px + q)(rx + s) \).
3. Expanding the binomials:

(px + q)(rx + s) = prx^2 + (ps + qr)x + qs

4. Match the coefficients with the original polynomial:

a = pr, \quad b = ps + qr, \quad c = -qs

5. Since \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are positive, we need \( a \) and \( b \) terms to be positive while \( c \) is negative.
6. To satisfy these conditions, one binomial should have a positive constant, and the other should have a negative constant. Therefore, the signs in the binomials must be one positive and one negative.

Example:

1. Let's take \( 2x^2 + 3x - 4 \):
2. Factor it as \( (2x - 1)(x + 4) \):
3. Expand to verify:

(2x - 1)(x + 4) = 2x^2 + 8x - x - 4 = 2x^2 + 7x - 4

4. Verification shows it doesn't match \( 2x^2 + 3x - 4 \), let’s try another factor pair.
5. Factor it as \( (2x + 4)(x - 1) \):

(2x + 4)(x - 1) = 2x^2 - 2x + 4x - 4 = 2x^2 + 2x - 4

Again, try with different factor pairs \( (2x + 4)(x - 1) \)

[Step-by-Step Solution] One binomial's SIGN is positive and another is negative, final binomials for actual verification.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is the measure of an angle when one of its bisectors divides it into two angles measuring 60° and 120° respectively?
+
Question: What is the result of adding the vectors (3, -2) and (-4, 5) and subtracting the vector (-1, 3)?
+
What is the volume of a cube with side length 5 units?
+
New questions in Mathematics
Y=-x^2-8x-15 X=-7
58+861-87
We have spent 1/4 of the inheritance on taxes and 3/5 of the rest on buying a house. If the inheritance was a total of €150,000 How much money do we have left?
find all matrices that commute with the matrix A=[0 1]
What is the total tolerance for a dimension from 1.996" to 2.026*?
20% of 3500
find f(x) for f'(x)=3x+7
3. A rock is dropped from a height of 16 ft. It is determined that its height (in feet) above ground t seconds later (for 0≤t≤3) is given by s(t)=-2t2 + 16. Find the average velocity of the rock over [0.2,0.21] time interval.
The market for economics textbooks is represented by the following supply and demand equations: P = 5 + 2Qs P = 20 - Qd Where P is the price in £s and Qs and Qd are the quantities supplied and demanded in thousands. What is the equilibrium price?
A researcher is interested in voting preferences on change of the governing constitution in a certain country controlled by two main parties A and B. A questionnaire was developed and sent to a random sample of voters. The cross tabs are as follows Favour Neutral Oppose Membership: Party A 70 90 85 Party B 50 50 155 Test at α = 0.05 whether party membership and voting preference are associated and state the conditions required for chi-square test results to be valid.
3/9*4/8=
TEST 123123+123123
User One of the applications of the derivative of a function is its use in Physics, where a function that at every instant t associates the number s(t), this function s is called the clockwise function of the movement. By deriving the time function we obtain the velocity function at time t, denoted by v(t). A body has a time function that determines its position in meters at time t as S(t)=t.³√t+2.t . Present the speed of this body at time t = 8 s.
find missing measure for triangle area = 48 m square base = 10m heaighy = ? m
94 divided by 8.75
2x-5-x+2=5x-11
Given two lines 𝐿1: 𝑥 + 4𝑦 = −10 and 𝐿2: 2𝑥 − 𝑦 = 7. i. Find the intersection point of 𝐿1 and 𝐿2.
a) 6x − 5 > x + 20
the product of a 2-digit number and a 3-digit number is about 50000, what are these numbers
A plant found at the bottom of a lake doubles in size every 10 days. Yeah It is known that in 300 days it has covered the entire lake, indicate how many days it will take to cover the entire lake four similar plants.