Lesson 3

Quadratic Equation

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to
a) Differentiate between quadratic expressions and quadratic equations,
b) Solve quadratic equations in the form of ax
2
+ c where b = 0 and a 0, c 0,
c) Solve quadratic equations in the form of ax
2
+ bx = 0 where c = 0 and a 0, b 0,
d) Solve quadratic equations in the form of ax
2
+ bx + c = 0 where a 0, b 0, c 0
using the factorising method.

Introduction

An expression of the form ax
2
+ bx + c, where a, b and c are constant with a 0, is called a
quadratic expression.
An equation of the form ax
2
+ bx + c = 0, where a, b and c are constant with a 0, is called a
quadratic equation.
A quadratic equation will have at most two real solutions. The solutions are generally called
the roots of the quadratic.
We will look at the methods for solving the following three types of quadratic equation:

a) Type 1: ax
2
+ c where b = 0 and a 0, c 0
Example 1
Solve the equation x
2
25 = 0
Solution
x
2
25 = 0
x
2
= 25
x =
We can also solve this by using the factorization technique x
2
y
2
= (x y)(x + y)
x
2
25 = (x 5)(x + 5) = 0
x 5 = 0 or x + 5 = 0
x = 5 or x = 5
or
x = 5

Example 2
Solve the equation 4x
2
32 = 0
Solution
4x
2
32 = 0
4x
2
= 32
x
2
= 8
x =

Example 3
Solve the equation 81x
2
36 = 0
Solution
81x
2
36 = 0
81x
2
= 36
x
2
=

x =

b) Type II: ax
2
+ bx = 0 where c = 0 and a 0, b 0
Example 4
Solve the following equations:
a) x
2
6x = 0
b) 3x
2
+ 7x = 0

Solution
a) x
2
6x = 0
x(x 6) = 0
x = 0 or x = 6
b) 3x
2
+ 7x = 0
x(3x +7) = 0
x = 0 or 3x + 7 = 0
3x = 7
x =

Exercise 1
Solve the following equations:
i) x
2
1 = 0 ii) x
2
36 = 0 iii) x
2
81 = 0
iv) 3x
2
27 = 0 v) 6x
2
42 = 0 vi) 5x
2
25 = 0
vii) x
2
3x = 0 viii) 4x
2
+ 8x = 0 ix) 9x
2
81x = 0


C) Type III : ax
2
+ bx + c = 0 where a 0, b 0, and c 0

Quadratic equation in this form can be solved by three methods:
i) Factorising
ii) Completing the square
iii) Using the quadratic formula x =

Method 1: Factorising
This method is used for equations that can be easily factorised.

Example 5
Solve the following equations:
a) x
2
+ 5x + 6 = 0
b) 2x
2
13 24 = 0
c) x
2
x 10 = x + 5
Solution
a) x
2
+ 5x + 6 = 0
Factorising the Left Hand Side (LHS) gives
(x + 2)(x 3) = 0
x + 2 = 0 or x 3 = 0
x = 2 or x = 3

b) 2x
2
13x 24 = 0
Factorising the LHS gives
(2x + 3)(x 8) = 0
2x + 3 = 0 or x 8 = 0
2x = 3 or x = 8
x =

c) x
2
x 10 = x + 5
Rearranging and Factorising the LHS gives
x
2
x 10 x 5 = 0
x
2
2x 15 = 0
(x 5)(x + 3) = 0
x 5 = 0 or x + 3 = 0
x = 5 or x = 3


Example 6
Solve the equation

Solution
Find the common denominator

4x + 3x 3 = 3[x(x 1)]
7x 3 = 3x
2
3x
3x
2
3x 7x + 3 = 0
3x
2
10x + 3 = 0
(3x 1)(x 3) = 0
3x 1 = 0 or x 3 = 0
3x = 1 x = 3
x =

Example 7
Solve the equation






Solution
Cross multiply
(2x + 1) (x + 7) = (3x 1)(x + 5)
2x
2
+ 15x + 7 = 3x
2
+ 14x 5
x
2
x 12 = 0
(x 4) (x + 3) = 0
x 4 = 0 or x + 3 = 0
x = 4 or x = 3
Exercise 2
1. Solve each of the following quadratic equations by factorisation.
i) x
2
+ x 20 = 0 ii) 3x
2
2x 16 = 0 iii) 2x
2
+ 5x = 15
iv) 2p
2
2p 12 = 5 8p
2
v)

vi) (2p 1)(p + 4) = 7