Final answer:
To convert a matrix to row echelon form, follow these steps: start with the first column and find the first nonzero entry in that column, switch rows if necessary to make the pivot the top entry in its column, use row operations to eliminate all entries below the pivot in the column, and repeat this process for each subsequent column.
Step-by-step explanation:
To convert a matrix to row echelon form, follow these steps:
- Start with the first column and find the first nonzero entry in that column, which will be your pivot.
- Switch rows if necessary to make the pivot the top entry in its column.
- Use row operations to eliminate all entries below the pivot in the column.
- Repeat steps 1-3 for each subsequent column, using the next row as the pivot row.
- Continue this process until you have a matrix in row echelon form.
Some examples of row echelon form matrices include:
Example 1:
1 0 3
0 1 2
0 0 0
Example 2:
2 1 3 0
0 1 2 5
0 0 0 1