172,365 views
3 votes
3 votes
Solve the equation 6(2x + 4)² = (2x + 4) +2.

5 9
ОГ
X
4
of
O
X
DONE
5
3
or -
or

User Jazzee
by
2.5k points

1 Answer

19 votes
19 votes

Answer:

x = -9/2 or -5/3

Explanation:

The given equation is recognizable as a quadratic in the expression (2x+4). It may be more easily solved by substituting a variable for that expression.

__

setup

Let z = 2x+4. Then the equation becomes ...

6z² = z +2

6z^2 -z -2 = 0

solution to the quadratic

This equation can be factored by finding factors of (6)(-2) that total -1.

(6z -4)(6z +3)/6 = 0

(3z -2)(2z +1) = 0 . . . . . eliminate the fraction

The values of z that make these factors zero are ...

3z -2 = 0 ⇒ z = 2/3

2z +1 = 0 ⇒ z = -1/2

values of x

The relation between x and z tells us ...

z = 2x +4

(z -4)/2 = x

For the values of z we have, the corresponding x-values are ...

z = 2/3 ⇒ (2/3 -4)/2 = x = -10/6 = -5/3

z = -1/2 ⇒ (-1/2 -4)/2 = x = -9/4

Solutions to the equation are x=-9/4 and x=-5/3.

_____

Additional comment

Alternatively, the equation could have been expanded to standard form and then factored.

6(4x² +16x +16) = 2x +6

24x² +94x +90 = 0 . . . . put in standard form

12x² +47x +45 = 0 . . . . factor out 2

(4x +9)(3x +5) = 0 . . . . factor (judged harder than the above factoring)

User Tomzie
by
3.7k points