Question

Solve the given equation by factoring: 2x^2 - 5x – 3 = 0. One of the solutions is -1/2, what is the other solution?

Answer 1

a. 2

b. 3

c. 4

d. none of the above

Answer 2

well what do you know about factoring?

Answer 3

uh..nothing. At all ..>.> it's hard for me to understand

Answer 4

well usually it is set up like this right:

Answer 5

but since you have a 2 in front of your leading coefficient what does that do?

Answer 6

Not sure. I've tried to find this in the lessons. Do you multiply something?

Answer 7

for the equation given, we can assume that it is the product of two binomials (ax + b). is the equation is equated to zero, it means that either binomial factor is equal to 0. One answer would be -1/2. Its binomial equivalent would be (x + 1/2). But we usually don't want a fraction there so we eliminate the fraction by multiplying it by 2, giving (2x + 1). Now you just have to find a binomial that, when multiplied to (2x + 1), gives the equation. =)

Answer 8

So it wouldn't be any of the? so none of the above?

Answer 9

well, using the FOIL (first, outer, inner, last) method for solving binomial multiplication problems