More about Equations

8 Contents

8.1 Equations Reducible to Quadratic Equations

8.2 Problems Leading to Quadratic Equations
8.3 Solving Simultaneous Equations by Algebraic Method
8.4 Graphical Solutions of Simultaneous Equations
Home
8.5 More about Graphical Methods in Solving
Simultaneous Equations
 8 More About Equations
8.1 Equations Reducible to Quadratic Equations

A. Fractional Equations

Example 8.1T

6 
Solve  + 3  ( x − 1) = 10.
x 

Solution:
6  3x 2 − 7 x − 6 = 0
 + 3( x − 1) = 10
x  (3 x + 2)( x − 3) = 0
6
6 + 3 x − − 3 = 10 3 x + 2 = 0 or x − 3 = 0
Home x
2
6 x = − or 3
Content 3x − 7 − = 0 3
x

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8.1 Equations Reducible to Quadratic Equations
B. Equations with Power More Than 2

Example 8.3T

Find the real roots of the equation x 4 + 2 x 2 − 3 = 0 .

Solution:

Put y = x 2 , the equation x 4 + 2 x 2 − 3 = 0 becomes

y2 + 2 y − 3 = 0
( y − 1)( y + 3) = 0
y − 1 = 0 or y + 3 = 0
Home y = 1 or − 3
Content Since y = x 2 , we have
There is no real number x
x 2 = 1 or − 3 (rejected) whose square is negative.
x = ±1

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 8 More About Equations
8.1 Equations Reducible to Quadratic Equations
C. Equations with Surd Form

Example 8.4T

Solve x − 2 x − 3 = 0.

Solution:

Put y = x , the equation x − 2 x − 3 = 0 becomes

y2 − 2 y − 3 = 0
( y − 3)( y + 1) = 0
y − 3 = 0 or y + 1 = 0
Home y = 3 or − 1
Content Since y = x , we have Squaring both sides of an
equation will sometimes
x = 3 or − 1(rejected) create a number that is not
a root of the original
x=9 equation.

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 8 More About Equations
8.1 Equations Reducible to Quadratic Equations
D. Indical Equations

Example 8.5T
Solve 2 2 x − 2 x − 6 = 0 .

Solution:
Put y = 2x, the equation 22x – 2x – 6 = 0 becomes
y2 − y − 6 = 0
( y − 3)( y + 2) = 0
y − 3 = 0 or y + 2 = 0
Home y = 3 or − 2
Since y = 2x, we have 2 x = 3 or 2 x = −2 (rejected) ( )
• am
n
= a mn
Content
x log 2 = log 3 • log a n = n log a

log 3
x= = 1.58 (correct to 2 decimal places)
log 2

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 8 More About Equations
8.1 Equations Reducible to Quadratic Equations
E. Logarithmic Equations

Example 8.6T
Solve log x + log( x + 1) = log 6.

Solution:

log x + log( x + 1) = log 6

log x( x + 1) = log 6 log M + log N = log MN
x( x + 1) = 6
Home x2 + x − 6 = 0
( x − 2)( x + 3) = 0
Content
x − 2 = 0 or x + 3 = 0 When x = –3, log x and log (x+1)
x = 2 or − 3(rejected) are undefined, therefore x = –3 is
rejected.

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 8 More About Equations
8.2 Problems Leading to Quadratic Equations

Strategy for Solving Word Problems

1. Read the problem carefully – understand the problem; know what

is given and what is to be found. If appropriate, draw figures or
diagrams and label both known and unknown parts.

• Let one of the unknown quantities be represented by a variable, say

x, and try to represent all other unknown quantities in terms of x.

3. Set up an equation.

4. Solve the equation.

Home
5. Check and interpret all solutions in the context of the original
Content
problem – not just for the equation found in Step 3.

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8.2 Problems Leading to Quadratic Equations
Example 8.8T
Consider a rectangle with an area of 100 cm2. If its length is 3 cm longer
than its breadth, find the length of the rectangle. ( Give the answer correct
to 2 decimal places. )

Solution:

Let the length of the rectangle be x cm, then the width is (x – 3) cm.
x( x − 3) = 100
x 2 − 3 x − 100 = 0
− (−3) ± (−3) 2 − 4 × 1 × (−100)
x=
2 ×1
Home
3 + 409 3 − 409
= or (rejected)
Content 2 2
= 11.61 (correct to 2 decimal places)

The length of the rectangle is 11.61 cm.

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 8 More About Equations
8.3 Solving Simultaneous Equations by Algebraic Method

To solve a pair of simultaneous linear equations in two unknowns such as

x + 2 y = 3
 ，
2 x − y = 1

One method of solving them is to substitute one linear equation into the
other one in order to eliminate one of the two unknowns.

To solve a pair of simultaneous equations in two unknowns in which one is

in linear form and one is in quadratic form, for example,

y = x +1  linear
Home  2
,
 y = x − 3 x − 4  quadratic
Content
The key step is to substitute the linear equation into the quadratic
equation to eliminate one of the two unknowns.

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8.4 Graphical Solutions of Simultaneous Equations

A. Solving Simultaneous Equations by Graphical Method

When solving a pair of simultaneous equations in two unknowns in which one

is linear and one is quadratic, we can draw the graph of each equation in the
same Cartesian coordinate plane.

The point(s) of intersection of the two graphs will give the solution(s) of the
two equations. However, they are only approximate solutions.

Home
Solutions of two simultaneous
Content equations are the solutions
that satisfy both equations.

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8.4 Graphical Solutions of Simultaneous Equations

B. Number of Points of Intersection of a Parabola and a Line

To solve a pair of simultaneous equations in which one is linear and the

other is quadratic (in the form y = ax2 + bx + c, where a ≠ 0) by graphical
method, the graphs of the parabola and the straight line may:

Case 1 : intersect at two distinct points, indicating that there are two different
solutions; or

Case 2 : touch each other at one point only, indicating that there is only one
solution; or
Home
Case 3 : have no intersections, indicating that there are no real solutions.
Content

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8.4 Graphical Solutions of Simultaneous Equations

Without the actual drawing of the graphs, the number of points of intersection
of the two graphs can be determined algebraically by the following steps:

Step 1 : Use the method of substitution to eliminate one of the unknowns

(either x or y) of the simultaneous equations. We can then obtain a
quadratic equation in one unknown.

Step 2 : Evaluate the discriminant (Δ) of the quadratic equation obtained in

Step 1.
Home • If Δ > 0, then there are two points of intersection.

Content • If Δ = 0, then there is only one point of intersection.

• If Δ < 0, then there are no intersections.

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8.4 Graphical Solutions of Simultaneous Equations
Example 8.19T

Without solving the simultaneous equations algebraically, find the number

of points of intersection of the parabola y = 2x2 and the straight line y = 3x + 5.

Solution:
 y = 2 x 2 ..........................(1)

 y = 3 x + 5......................(2)
Substituting (2) into (1),
3x + 5 = 2 x 2
Home 2 x 2 − 3 x − 5 = 0....................(3)

Content ∆ of (3) = (−3) 2 − 4 × 2 × (−5)

Δ> 0 corresponds to the
= 49 > 0 quadratic equation 2x2 – 3x – 5
having two unequal real roots.
There are two points of intersection.

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 8 More About Equations
8.5 More about Graphical Methods in Solving Simultaneous
Equations
When we are given a graph of quadratic function such as y = x2, we can
use it to solve any quadratic equation graphically such as x2 – x – 2 = 0 by
the following procedures:

Step 1 : Write the equation as x2 = x + 2.

Step 2 : Hence, we can write this quadratic equation as two simultaneous

equations ( one linear and one quadratic ) in two unknowns x and y,
namely y = x2 and y = x + 2.

Step 3 : Draw the graphs of the two simultaneous equations in the same
Home
Cartesian coordinate plane. The x-coordinates of their points
Content
of intersection will give the solutions of the quadratic equation
x2 – x – 2 = 0.

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