Solution - Quadratic equations

Step by step solution :

Step  1  :

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  (32k2 -  14k) -  20  = 0 

Step  2  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 2.1     Factoring  9k²-14k-20 

The first term is,  9k²  its coefficient is  9 .
The middle term is,  -14k  its coefficient is  -14 .
The last term, "the constant", is  -20 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   9 • -20 = -180 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  -180  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   -14 .

For tidiness, printing of 12 lines which failed to find two such factors, was suppressed

Observation : No two such factors can be found !!
Conclusion : Trinomial can not be factored

Equation at the end of step  2  :

  9k2 - 14k - 20  = 0 

Step  3  :

Parabola, Finding the Vertex :

 3.1      Find the Vertex of   y = 9k²-14k-20

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, 9 , 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,Ak²+Bk+C,the  k -coordinate of the vertex is given by  -B/(2A) . In our case the  k  coordinate is   0.7778  

 Plugging into the parabola formula   0.7778  for  k  we can calculate the  y -coordinate : 
  y = 9.0 * 0.78 * 0.78 - 14.0 * 0.78 - 20.0
or   y = -25.444

Parabola, Graphing Vertex and X-Intercepts :

Root plot for :  y = 9k²-14k-20
Axis of Symmetry (dashed)  {k}={ 0.78} 
Vertex at  {k,y} = { 0.78,-25.44} 
 k -Intercepts (Roots) :
Root 1 at  {k,y} = {-0.90, 0.00} 
Root 2 at  {k,y} = { 2.46, 0.00} 

Solve Quadratic Equation by Completing The Square

 3.2     Solving   9k²-14k-20 = 0 by Completing The Square .

 Divide both sides of the equation by  9  to have 1 as the coefficient of the first term :
   k²-(14/9)k-(20/9) = 0

Add  20/9  to both side of the equation :
   k²-(14/9)k = 20/9

Now the clever bit: Take the coefficient of  k , which is  14/9 , divide by two, giving  7/9 , and finally square it giving  49/81 

Add  49/81  to both sides of the equation :
  On the right hand side we have :
   20/9  +  49/81   The common denominator of the two fractions is  81   Adding  (180/81)+(49/81)  gives  229/81 
  So adding to both sides we finally get :
   k²-(14/9)k+(49/81) = 229/81

Adding  49/81  has completed the left hand side into a perfect square :
   k²-(14/9)k+(49/81)  =
   (k-(7/9)) • (k-(7/9))  =
  (k-(7/9))²
Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another. Since
   k²-(14/9)k+(49/81) = 229/81 and
   k²-(14/9)k+(49/81) = (k-(7/9))²
then, according to the law of transitivity,
   (k-(7/9))² = 229/81

We'll refer to this Equation as  Eq. #3.2.1  

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

Note that the square root of
   (k-(7/9))²   is
   (k-(7/9))^2/2 =
  (k-(7/9))¹ =
   k-(7/9)

Now, applying the Square Root Principle to  Eq. #3.2.1  we get:
   k-(7/9) = √ 229/81

Add  7/9  to both sides to obtain:
   k = 7/9 + √ 229/81

Since a square root has two values, one positive and the other negative
   k² - (14/9)k - (20/9) = 0
   has two solutions:
  k = 7/9 + √ 229/81
   or
  k = 7/9 - √ 229/81

Note that  √ 229/81 can be written as
  √ 229  / √ 81   which is √ 229  / 9

Solve Quadratic Equation using the Quadratic Formula

 3.3     Solving    9k²-14k-20 = 0 by the Quadratic Formula .

 According to the Quadratic Formula,  k  , the solution for   Ak²+Bk+C  = 0  , where  A, B  and  C  are numbers, often called coefficients, is given by :
                                     
            - B  ±  √ B²-4AC
  k =   ————————
                      2A

  In our case,  A   =     9
                      B   =   -14
                      C   =  -20

Accordingly,  B²  -  4AC   =
                     196 - (-720) =
                     916

Applying the quadratic formula :

               14 ± √ 916
   k  =    ——————
                      18

Can  √ 916 be simplified ?

Yes!   The prime factorization of  916   is
   2•2•229 
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).

√ 916   =  √ 2•2•229   =
                ±  2 • √ 229

  √ 229   , rounded to 4 decimal digits, is  15.1327
 So now we are looking at:
           k  =  ( 14 ± 2 •  15.133 ) / 18

Two real solutions:

 k =(14+√916)/18=(7+√ 229 )/9= 2.459

or:

 k =(14-√916)/18=(7-√ 229 )/9= -0.904

Two solutions were found :

1.  k =(14-√916)/18=(7-√ 229 )/9= -0.904
2.  k =(14+√916)/18=(7+√ 229 )/9= 2.459