Question

Giving Medals.. You are having a meeting with the CEO of a technology company. You have interpreted the number of laptops produced versus profit as the function P(x) = x4 -3x3 -8x2 + 12x + 16. Describe to the CEO what the graph looks like. Use complete sentences, and focus on the end behaviors of the graph and where the company will break even (where P(x) = 0).

Answer 1

please help i have been stuck for hours on this

Answer 2

show us your work

Answer 3

your "hours" of work

Answer 4

it doesnt give us that

Answer 5

i just need to figure out where we will break even

Answer 6

the rest of the question i figured out

Answer 7

p(x)
p'(x)
p''(x)
find all those
fin the critical and inflection points

Answer 8

and zeros

Answer 9

an you can graph it

Answer 10

can you explain how to do that , cause i have no idea

Answer 11

have you learnt derivatives?

Answer 12

no

Answer 13

its algebra two

Answer 14

there is no need for derivatives

Answer 15

okay then just begin by know it looks like this

Answer 16

as its a degree 4

Answer 17

yes

Answer 18

but thats not what the graph looks likes

Answer 19

as you can see the end behavior is going towards inf

Answer 20

ok i got that

Answer 21

the only part i am having trouble onn is finding the where the company will break even (where P(x) = 0).

Answer 22

now see where the zeros are an you can say when its breaking even (when p(x)=0)

Answer 23

no i dont see where the zeros are??

Answer 24

try some plug and chug methods to find a zero, they probably gave you a simple one

Answer 25

no what i orginally posted is the only information i have

Answer 26

try +/- 2, +/-1 and +/-4

Answer 27

try to find it -.-

Answer 28

ok where do i plug that into

Answer 29

p(x), see what p(-2) is p(2) , what p(-4),p(4)

Answer 30

we are picking multiples of the first degree and last constant

Answer 31

oh okay

Answer 32

+/-(1,2,4,8,16) are usually good guesses to begin with