Question

Give both values of x that satisfy the equation

3 + 6 = x
X
Give your answers as decimals to 3 s.f.

Answer 1

To solve the quadratic equation x² + 1.2 × 10^-2x - 6.0 × 10^-3 = 0 for x, we use the quadratic formula, substituting the known coefficients, and then calculate the values of x, rounding them to three significant figures.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given the mathematical equation x² + 1.2 × 10-2x - 6.0 × 10-3 = 0, we can solve for the variable x using the quadratic formula (ax² + bx + c = 0). To find both values of x that satisfy the equation, we would proceed as follows:

1. Identify a, b, and c in the quadratic formula context. Here, a = 1, b = 1.2 × 10-2, and c = -6.0 × 10-3.
2. Substitute these values into the quadratic formula x = (-b ± √(b² - 4ac)) / (2a).
3. Calculate the discriminant (b² - 4ac) and then proceed with the rest of the formula to find both the positive and negative roots.
4. Rounding the result to three significant figures as requested.

Using this procedure, we can calculate the required values of x to three significant figures.