Examples

REMARK: THERE IS A CORRECTION TO YOUR PROBLEM 14 ON THE HOMEWORK. IT SHOULD SAY, THERE ARE TWO POSSIBLE NUMBERS. WHAT ARE
THEY? (They are both positive)
1) Solve x2 = 25

If x2 = 25 then x = 25 = 5
2) Solve 3x2 + 12x = 0
Since 3x(x + 4) = 0 we have 3x = 0 or x + 4 = 0 so x = 0 or x = 4
3) Solve x3 = 8
Since x3 8 = 0 so that (x 2)(x2 + 2x + 4) = 0 we have x 2 = 0 or x2 + 2x +4 = 0.
Thenx = 2 or x2 + 2x + 4 = 0. Use the quadratic formula. Then, x = 2 or x = 22 12 =

22i 3
= 1 i 3. 4) Solve x4 = 7x2
2
2
2
Since x4 7x2 = 0 then x2 (x2 7) =
0 so x = 0 or x 7 = 0. In the first case x = 0, and
2
in the second case, x = 7 so x = 7.
5) Solve x3 + 2x2 + x + 2 = 0
2
2
2
Since (x
+ 2)(x + 1) = 0 we have x + 2 = 0 or x + 1 = 0 so x = 2 or x = 1 so that
x = 1 = i
6) Tim can ride a bike at 4mph with no wind. He rides 10 miles against the wind and then
turn around and rides 10 miles with the wind. The entire trip takes 6 hours. How fast was
the wind blowing?
Let r be the rate of the wind. Let Ta and Tw be the time he spends riding against the wind
and with the wind. We know that Ta + Tw = 6. We also know D = RT so that Ta + Tw = 6
implies (Da /Ra ) + (Dw /Rw ) = 6. We know both distances are 10 so (10/Ra ) + (10/Rw ) = 6.
10
10
+ 4+r
= 6. Adding the fracFinally we know that Ra = 3 r and Rw = 3 + r/ Therefore 4r
10(4+r)+10(4r)
80
2
2
tions we have (4r)(4+r) = 6 so 16r
2 = 6. Then 80 = 6(16 r ) so that 40/3 = 16 r
p
p
so 8/3 = r2 or r2 = 8/3. Hence r = 8/3. Since r > 0 we have r = 8/3 1.633
mph.
7) The sum of a number and its reciprocal is 9. There are 2 possible numbers. What are
they?
We have
that x + (1/x) = 9 so x2 + 1 = 9x or x2 9x + 1 = 0. The quadratic formula yields

x = 92 77 as the two possible numbers.

8) The sum of 3 consecutive integers is 102. Determine these 3 integers.
We have that x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 102 so that 3x + 3 = 102 or 3x = 99 so that x = 33.
Hence the numbers are 33, 34, 35.