Two solutions:
x = 7
x = -1
Step-by-step explanation:
Trying to factor by splitting the middle term
1.1 Factoring x2-6x-7
The first term is, x2 its coefficient is 1 .
The middle term is, -6x its coefficient is -6 .
The last term, "the constant", is -7
Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant 1 • -7 = -7
Step-2 : Find two factors of -7 whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is -6 .
-7 + 1 = -6 That's it
Step-3 : Rewrite the polynomial splitting the middle term using the two factors found in step 2 above, -7 and 1
x2 - 7x + 1x - 7
Step-4 : Add up the first 2 terms, pulling out like factors :
x • (x-7)
Add up the last 2 terms, pulling out common factors :
1 • (x-7)
Step-5 : Add up the four terms of step 4 :
(x+1) • (x-7)
Which is the desired factorization
Equation at the end of step 1 :
(x + 1) • (x - 7) = 0
Step 2 :
Theory - Roots of a product :
2.1 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 :
2.2 Solve : x+1 = 0
Subtract 1 from both sides of the equation :
x = -1
Solving a Single Variable Equation :
2.3 Solve : x-7 = 0
Add 7 to both sides of the equation :
x = 7
Supplement : Solving Quadratic Equation Directly
Solving x2-6x-7 = 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 :
3.1 Find the Vertex of y = x2-6x-7
For any parabola,Ax2+Bx+C,the x -coordinate of the vertex is given by -B/(2A) . In our case the x coordinate is 3.0000
Plugging into the parabola formula 3.0000 for x we can calculate the y -coordinate :
y = 1.0 * 3.00 * 3.00 - 6.0 * 3.00 - 7.0
or y = -16.000
Parabola, Graphing Vertex and X-Intercepts :
Root plot for : y = x2-6x-7
Axis of Symmetry (dashed) {x}={ 3.00}
Vertex at {x,y} = { 3.00,-16.00}
x -Intercepts (Roots) :
Root 1 at {x,y} = {-1.00, 0.00}
Root 2 at {x,y} = { 7.00, 0.00}
Solve Quadratic Equation by Completing The Square
3.2 Solving x2-6x-7 = 0 by Completing The Square .
Add 7 to both side of the equation :
x2-6x = 7
Now the clever bit: Take the coefficient of x , which is 6 , divide by two, giving 3 , and finally square it giving 9
Add 9 to both sides of the equation :
On the right hand side we have :
7 + 9 or, (7/1)+(9/1)
The common denominator of the two fractions is 1 Adding (7/1)+(9/1) gives 16/1
So adding to both sides we finally get :
x2-6x+9 = 16
Adding 9 has completed the left hand side into a perfect square :
x2-6x+9 =
(x-3) • (x-3) =
(x-3)2
Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another. Since
x2-6x+9 = 16 and
x2-6x+9 = (x-3)2
then, according to the law of transitivity,
(x-3)2 = 16
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
(x-3)2 is
(x-3)2/2 =
(x-3)1 =
x-3
Now, applying the Square Root Principle to Eq. #3.2.1 we get:
x-3 = √ 16
Add 3 to both sides to obtain:
x = 3 + √ 16
Since a square root has two values, one positive and the other negative
x2 - 6x - 7 = 0
has two solutions:
x = 3 + √ 16
or
x = 3 - √ 16
Solve Quadratic Equation using the Quadratic Formula
3.3 Solving x2-6x-7 = 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 = 1
B = -6
C = -7
Accordingly, B2 - 4AC =
36 - (-28) =
64
Applying the quadratic formula :
6 ± √ 64
x = —————
2
Can √ 64 be simplified ?
Yes! The prime factorization of 64 is
2•2•2•2•2•2
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).
√ 64 = √ 2•2•2•2•2•2 =2•2•2•√ 1 =
± 8 • √ 1 =
± 8
So now we are looking at:
x = ( 6 ± 8) / 2
Two real solutions:
x =(6+√64)/2=3+4= 7.000
or:
x =(6-√64)/2=3-4= -1.000
Two solutions were found :
x = 7
x = -1
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