Solution - Quadratic equations

Step by step solution :

Step  1  :

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  (13x2 -  118x) +  240  = 0 

Step  2  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 2.1     Factoring  13x²-118x+240 

The first term is,  13x²  its coefficient is  13 .
The middle term is,  -118x  its coefficient is  -118 .
The last term, "the constant", is  +240 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   13 • 240 = 3120 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  3120  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   -118 .

Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above,  -78  and  -40 
                     13x² - 78x - 40x - 240

Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
                    13x • (x-6)
              Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
                    40 • (x-6)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
                    (13x-40)  •  (x-6)
             Which is the desired factorization

Equation at the end of step  2  :

  (x - 6) • (13x - 40)  = 0 

Step  3  :

Theory - Roots of a product :

 3.1    A product of several terms equals zero. 

 When a product of two or more terms equals zero, then at least one of the terms must be zero. 

 We shall now solve each term = 0 separately 

 In other words, we are going to solve as many equations as there are terms in the product 

 Any solution of term = 0 solves product = 0 as well.

Solving a Single Variable Equation :

 3.2      Solve  :    x-6 = 0 

 Add  6  to both sides of the equation : 
                      x = 6

Solving a Single Variable Equation :

 3.3      Solve  :    13x-40 = 0 

 Add  40  to both sides of the equation : 
                      13x = 40
Divide both sides of the equation by 13:
                     x = 40/13 = 3.077

Supplement : Solving Quadratic Equation Directly

Solving    13x2-118x+240  = 0   directly 

Earlier we factored this polynomial by splitting the middle term. let us now solve the equation by Completing The Square and by using the Quadratic Formula

Parabola, Finding the Vertex :

 4.1      Find the Vertex of   y = 13x²-118x+240

Parabolas have a highest or a lowest point called the Vertex .   Our parabola opens up and accordingly has a lowest point (AKA absolute minimum) .   We know this even before plotting  "y"  because the coefficient of the first term, 13 , is positive (greater than zero). 

 Each parabola has a vertical line of symmetry that passes through its vertex. Because of this symmetry, the line of symmetry would, for example, pass through the midpoint of the two  x -intercepts (roots or solutions) of the parabola. That is, if the parabola has indeed two real solutions. 

 Parabolas can model many real life situations, such as the height above ground, of an object thrown upward, after some period of time. The vertex of the parabola can provide us with information, such as the maximum height that object, thrown upwards, can reach. For this reason we want to be able to find the coordinates of the vertex. 

 For any parabola,Ax²+Bx+C,the  x -coordinate of the vertex is given by  -B/(2A) . In our case the  x  coordinate is   4.5385  

 Plugging into the parabola formula   4.5385  for  x  we can calculate the  y -coordinate : 
  y = 13.0 * 4.54 * 4.54 - 118.0 * 4.54 + 240.0
or   y = -27.769

Parabola, Graphing Vertex and X-Intercepts :

Root plot for :  y = 13x²-118x+240
Axis of Symmetry (dashed)  {x}={ 4.54} 
Vertex at  {x,y} = { 4.54,-27.77} 
 x -Intercepts (Roots) :
Root 1 at  {x,y} = { 3.08, 0.00} 
Root 2 at  {x,y} = { 6.00, 0.00} 

Solve Quadratic Equation by Completing The Square

 4.2     Solving   13x²-118x+240 = 0 by Completing The Square .

 Divide both sides of the equation by  13  to have 1 as the coefficient of the first term :
   x²-(118/13)x+(240/13) = 0

Subtract  240/13  from both side of the equation :
   x²-(118/13)x = -240/13

Now the clever bit: Take the coefficient of  x , which is  118/13 , divide by two, giving  59/13 , and finally square it giving  3481/169 

Add  3481/169  to both sides of the equation :
  On the right hand side we have :
   -240/13  +  3481/169   The common denominator of the two fractions is  169   Adding  (-3120/169)+(3481/169)  gives  361/169 
  So adding to both sides we finally get :
   x²-(118/13)x+(3481/169) = 361/169

Adding  3481/169  has completed the left hand side into a perfect square :
   x²-(118/13)x+(3481/169)  =
   (x-(59/13)) • (x-(59/13))  =
  (x-(59/13))²
Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another. Since
   x²-(118/13)x+(3481/169) = 361/169 and
   x²-(118/13)x+(3481/169) = (x-(59/13))²
then, according to the law of transitivity,
   (x-(59/13))² = 361/169

We'll refer to this Equation as  Eq. #4.2.1  

The Square Root Principle says that When two things are equal, their square roots are equal.

Note that the square root of
   (x-(59/13))²   is
   (x-(59/13))^2/2 =
  (x-(59/13))¹ =
   x-(59/13)

Now, applying the Square Root Principle to  Eq. #4.2.1  we get:
   x-(59/13) = √ 361/169

Add  59/13  to both sides to obtain:
   x = 59/13 + √ 361/169

Since a square root has two values, one positive and the other negative
   x² - (118/13)x + (240/13) = 0
   has two solutions:
  x = 59/13 + √ 361/169
   or
  x = 59/13 - √ 361/169

Note that  √ 361/169 can be written as
  √ 361  / √ 169   which is 19 / 13

Solve Quadratic Equation using the Quadratic Formula

 4.3     Solving    13x²-118x+240 = 0 by the Quadratic Formula .

 According to the Quadratic Formula,  x  , the solution for   Ax²+Bx+C  = 0  , where  A, B  and  C  are numbers, often called coefficients, is given by :
                                     
            - B  ±  √ B²-4AC
  x =   ————————
                      2A

  In our case,  A   =     13
                      B   =   -118
                      C   =  240

Accordingly,  B²  -  4AC   =
                     13924 - 12480 =
                     1444

Applying the quadratic formula :

               118 ± √ 1444
   x  =    ———————
                        26

Can  √ 1444 be simplified ?

Yes!   The prime factorization of  1444   is
   2•2•19•19 
To be able to remove something from under the radical, there have to be  2  instances of it (because we are taking a square i.e. second root).

√ 1444   =  √ 2•2•19•19   =2•19•√ 1   =
                ±  38 • √ 1   =
                ±  38

So now we are looking at:
           x  =  ( 118 ± 38) / 26

Two real solutions:

x =(118+√1444)/26=(59+19)/13= 6.000

or:

x =(118-√1444)/26=(59-19)/13= 3.077

Two solutions were found :

1.  x = 40/13 = 3.077
   
2.  x = 6