PerfectMaths

UsefulTutorialsforSPM&InternationalMathematics

QuadraticEquations

JUL12
PostedbyCedricLow

3BasicTechniquesinSolvingQuadraticEquation
Questions

Inthischapterwewilllearn3mostbasictechniquesonhowto:

1.Solvethequadraticequations
2.Formaquadraticequation
3.Determinetheconditionsforthetypeofroots.

Generally, isthequadraticequation,expressedinthegeneralformof ,
wherea=1,b=6andc=5.Therootisthevalueofxthatcansolvetheequations.

Aquadraticequationonlyhastworoots.

Example1:Whataretherootsof ?
Answer:Thevalueof1and5aretherootsofthequadraticequation,becauseyouwillgetzerowhensubstitute1
or5intheequation.Wewillfurtherdiscussonhowtosolvethequadraticequationandndouttherootslater.

1)Solvethequadraticequations

Therearemanywayswecanusetosolvequadraticequationssuchasusing:

1)substitution,
1)substitution,
2)inspection,
3)trialandimprovementmethod,
4)factorization,
5)completingthesquareand
6)Quadraticformula.

However,wewillonlyfocusonthelastthreemethodsastherearethemostcommonlyusemethodstosolvea
quadraticequationintheSPMquestions.Letsmoveon!

Factorization

Factorizationisthedecompositionofanumberintotheproductoftheothernumbers,example,12couldbe
factoredinto3x4,2x6,and1x12.

Example2:Solve usingfactorization.
Answer:Wecanfactorthenumber12into4x3.Remember,alwaysthinkofthefactorswhichcanbeaddedupto
thegetthemiddlevalue(3+4=7),referfactorizationtablebelow,

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/factorizationtable1.png)

Sowewillget(x+3)(x+4)=0,
x+3=0orx+4=0
x=3orx=4

Example3:Solve usingfactorization.
Answer:Rearrangetheequationintheformof

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg3factorization.png)

Sowewillget(4x3)(2x1)=0,
Sowewillget(4x3)(2x1)=0,
4x3=0or2x1=0
x= orx=

Completingthesquare

Example4:Solvethefollowingequationbyusingcompletingthesquaremethod.

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg4a.png)

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg4b2.png)
Quadraticformula

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/quadraticformula.png)

Normallywhendoyouneedtousethisformula?

1)Theexamquestionrequestedtodoso!
2)Thequadraticequationcannotbefactorized.
3)Thegureofa,b,andcoftheequation aretoolargeandhardtofactorized.

Example5:Solve usingquadraticformula.

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg5ans1.png)

2)Formaquadraticequation

Howdoyouformaquadraticequationiftherootsoftheequationare1and2?Well,wecandotheworkout
likethisusingthereversemethod:

Wecanassume:

x=1orx=2
x1=0orx2=0

(x1)(x2)=0
(x1)(x2)=0
2
x 2xx+2=0
x23x+2=0

Sothequadraticequationisx23x+2=0.Thisisthemostbasictechniquetoformupaquadraticequation.

Letsassumewehavetherootsof and :

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/forming
equation.png)

Inotherwords,wecanformuptheequationusingthesumofroots(SOR)andproductofroots(POR).Ifthe
rootsare1and2,

SOR=1+2
=3

POR=1x2
=2

SometimeweneedtodeterminetheSORandPORfromagivenquadraticequationinordertondanew
equationfromagivennewroots.Ingeneralform,

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/formingequation2.png)

Letslookattheexamplebelowonhowtheconceptabovecanhelpussolvethequestion.

Example6:Giventhat and aretherootsof ,formaquadraticequation

withtherootsof( 5)and( 5).
(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg6anspart11.png)
(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg6anspart1.png)

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg6anspart2.png)

3)Determinetheconditionsforthetypeofroots

Referbacktoexample2,weknowthat hastwodierentroots(3and4)bysolvingusing
factorizationmethod.However,howarewegoingtodeterminethetypesofrootsof without
solvingtheequation?Thetrickiswecanuse .

iscalledadiscriminant.Remember,whenthevalueisgreaterthan0,wehave2dierentroots,when
itis0,wehave2equalroots,andwhenitislessthan0,wehavenoroots.

Fromthequadraticequation, , ,wehave2
dierentrootssincethediscriminantisgreaterthanzero.Refertablebelow.
(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg6anspart2.png)
(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/discriminanttable.png)

Example7:Aquadraticequation hastwoequalroots.Findthepossiblevaluesofh.

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg7answer.png)

WewilllookatmoreSPMquestionsandexampleforquadraticequationinnexttopiconSPMQuestions
forQuadraticEquations(hps://perfectmaths.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/spmquestionsfor
quadraticequations/).

Furtherreading

TheconceptofFactorization(hp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factorization)

(hps://perfectmaths.les.wordpress.com/2011/07/eg6anspart2.png)
 Adv ertisements

AboutCedricLow

MBAholderfromUniversityofSouthernQueenslandAustralia(USQ)in2009.StudiedforITandgraduated
fromUniversityofHertfordshireinUKbackto2005.AsystemengineerturnedtobecomeafulltimeMathstutor
andresearcher.LivinginMalaysia.EditorofPerfectmaths.com
ViewallpostsbyCedricLow
Postedon12/07/2011,inQuadraticEquations,SPMAdditionalMathsandtaggedAdditionalMathematics,
Chapter2quadraticequations,Form4,SPM.Bookmarkthepermalink.2Comments.

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