McGraw Hill Integrated II, 2012
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McGraw Hill Integrated II, 2012 View details
5. Quadratic Inequalities
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Exercise 71 Page 213

Practice makes perfect
a We want to use the discriminant of the given quadratic equation to determine the number and type of solutions. In the Quadratic Formula, b^2-4ac is the discriminant.
ax^2+bx+c=0 ⇔ x=- b±sqrt(b^2-4ac)/2a If we just want to know the number of solutions, and not the solutions themselves, we only need to work with the discriminant. Let's first write all terms on the left hand side of the equation. - 3x^2+2x-4=9 ⇔ - 3x^2+2x-13=0 Since the given equation is in standard form, we can identify the values of a, b, and c. - 3x^2+ 2x+( - 13)=0 Finally, let's evaluate the discriminant.
b^2-4ac
2^2-4( - 3)( - 13)
â–Ľ
Simplify
4-4(- 3)(- 13)
4-4(39)
4-156
- 152
The discriminant is - 152.
b Since the discriminant is - 152, less than zero, the quadratic equation has two complex roots.

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Further information
If the discriminant is greater than zero, the equation will have two real solutions. If it is equal to zero, the equation will have one real solution. Finally, if the discriminant is less than zero, the equation will have no real solutions.