Solution - Quadratic equations

Rearrange:

Rearrange the equation by subtracting what is to the right of the equal sign from both sides of the equation :

                     15*x^2+20*x-(8)=0 

Step by step solution :

Step  1  :

Equation at the end of step  1  :

  ((3•5x2) +  20x) -  8  = 0 

Step  2  :

Trying to factor by splitting the middle term

 2.1     Factoring  15x²+20x-8 

The first term is,  15x²  its coefficient is  15 .
The middle term is,  +20x  its coefficient is  20 .
The last term, "the constant", is  -8 

Step-1 : Multiply the coefficient of the first term by the constant   15 • -8 = -120 

Step-2 : Find two factors of  -120  whose sum equals the coefficient of the middle term, which is   20 .

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

Equation at the end of step  2  :

  15x2 + 20x - 8  = 0 

Step  3  :

Parabola, Finding the Vertex :

 3.1      Find the Vertex of   y = 15x²+20x-8

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, 15 , 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,Ax²+Bx+C,the  x -coordinate of the vertex is given by  -B/(2A) . In our case the  x  coordinate is  -0.6667  

 Plugging into the parabola formula  -0.6667  for  x  we can calculate the  y -coordinate : 
  y = 15.0 * -0.67 * -0.67 + 20.0 * -0.67 - 8.0
or   y = -14.667

Parabola, Graphing Vertex and X-Intercepts :

Root plot for :  y = 15x²+20x-8
Axis of Symmetry (dashed)  {x}={-0.67} 
Vertex at  {x,y} = {-0.67,-14.67} 
 x -Intercepts (Roots) :
Root 1 at  {x,y} = {-1.66, 0.00} 
Root 2 at  {x,y} = { 0.32, 0.00} 

Solve Quadratic Equation by Completing The Square

 3.2     Solving   15x²+20x-8 = 0 by Completing The Square .

 Divide both sides of the equation by  15  to have 1 as the coefficient of the first term :
   x²+(4/3)x-(8/15) = 0

Add  8/15  to both side of the equation :
   x²+(4/3)x = 8/15

Now the clever bit: Take the coefficient of  x , which is  4/3 , divide by two, giving  2/3 , and finally square it giving  4/9 

Add  4/9  to both sides of the equation :
  On the right hand side we have :
   8/15  +  4/9   The common denominator of the two fractions is  45   Adding  (24/45)+(20/45)  gives  44/45 
  So adding to both sides we finally get :
   x²+(4/3)x+(4/9) = 44/45

Adding  4/9  has completed the left hand side into a perfect square :
   x²+(4/3)x+(4/9)  =
   (x+(2/3)) • (x+(2/3))  =
  (x+(2/3))²
Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another. Since
   x²+(4/3)x+(4/9) = 44/45 and
   x²+(4/3)x+(4/9) = (x+(2/3))²
then, according to the law of transitivity,
   (x+(2/3))² = 44/45

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+(2/3))²   is
   (x+(2/3))^2/2 =
  (x+(2/3))¹ =
   x+(2/3)

Now, applying the Square Root Principle to  Eq. #3.2.1  we get:
   x+(2/3) = √ 44/45

Subtract  2/3  from both sides to obtain:
   x = -2/3 + √ 44/45

Since a square root has two values, one positive and the other negative
   x² + (4/3)x - (8/15) = 0
   has two solutions:
  x = -2/3 + √ 44/45
   or
  x = -2/3 - √ 44/45

Note that  √ 44/45 can be written as
  √ 44  / √ 45 

Solve Quadratic Equation using the Quadratic Formula

 3.3     Solving    15x²+20x-8 = 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   =     15
                      B   =    20
                      C   =   -8

Accordingly,  B²  -  4AC   =
                     400 - (-480) =
                     880

Applying the quadratic formula :

               -20 ± √ 880
   x  =    ——————
                      30

Can  √ 880 be simplified ?

Yes!   The prime factorization of  880   is
   2•2•2•2•5•11 
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).

√ 880   =  √ 2•2•2•2•5•11   =2•2•√ 55   =
                ±  4 • √ 55

  √ 55   , rounded to 4 decimal digits, is   7.4162
 So now we are looking at:
           x  =  ( -20 ± 4 •  7.416 ) / 30

Two real solutions:

 x =(-20+√880)/30=-2/3+2/15√ 55 = 0.322

or:

 x =(-20-√880)/30=-2/3-2/15√ 55 = -1.655

Two solutions were found :

1.  x =(-20-√880)/30=-2/3-2/15√ 55 = -1.655
2.  x =(-20+√880)/30=-2/3+2/15√ 55 = 0.322