Quadratic Roots Sum Practice

Algebra Level pending

The quadratic 5x^2+15x+a has roots p and q. If a quadratic in the form x^2+bx+c has roots -(p+q) and -(p/3+q/3), what is b?

-5 -4 1/2 -3 1/2 -3 -4

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3 solutions

Mahdi Raza
Jun 2, 2020
  • From the first quadratic equation: 5 x 2 + 15 x + a 5x^2 + 15x + a , the sum of roots will be: p + q = 15 5 ( 3 ) \boxed{\color{#D61F06}{p+q = \frac{-15}{5} \implies (-3)}}

  • From the second quadratic equation: x 2 + b x + c x^2 + bx + c , the sum of roots will be:

b 1 = ( p + q ) ( p 3 + q 3 ) = ( 4 p 3 + 4 q 3 ) = 4 3 ( p + q ) = 4 3 ( 3 ) b = + 4 b = 4 \begin{aligned} \dfrac{-b}{1} &= -\bigg(p +q \bigg) - \bigg(\dfrac{p}{3} + \dfrac{q}{3}\bigg) \\ &= - \bigg(\dfrac{4p}{3} + \dfrac{4q}{3}\bigg) \\ &= \dfrac{-4}{3} \big({\color{#D61F06}{p + q}}\big) \\ &= \dfrac{-4}{3} \big({\color{#D61F06}{-3}}\big) \\ \\ -b &= +4 \\ b &= \boxed{-4} \end{aligned}

We start by examining the first equation: 5x^2+15x+a

The only piece of information we get from this equation is p+q=-3 (By the sum of the roots of a quadratic)

Then we look at the other quadratic: x^2+bx+c

We can see that the value of b is the opposite of the sum of the roots of the equation.

We are given that the roots of the equation are -(p+q) and -(p/3+q/3)

Adding these together we have: -(p+q+p+q/3)=-b

Plugging in p+q=-3 we have: -[-3+(-1)]=-b

Solving the b we get b=-4.

Zakir Husain
Jun 2, 2020

Applying Vieta's formula on the first quadratic equation p + q = 15 5 = 3 p+q=\frac{-15}{5}=-3 Applying Vieta's formula on the second quadratic equation ( p + q ) + [ ( p 3 + q 3 ) ] = p q p 3 q 3 = 3 p 3 q p q 3 = 4 p 4 q 3 = 4 ( p + q ) 3 = b -(p+q)+[-(\frac{p}{3}+\frac{q}{3})]=-p-q-\frac{p}{3}-\frac{q}{3}=\frac{-3p-3q-p-q}{3}=\frac{-4p-4q}{3}=\frac{\cancel{-}4(p+q)}{3}=\cancel{-}b Putting value of p + q p+q 4 ( 3 ) 3 = b \frac{4(-\cancel{3})}{\cancel{3}}=b b = 4 \boxed{b=-4}

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