Here is our quadratic:
There are three different methods we can use. I'll explain each in depth.
FactoringIf you want to factor, bring everything over to the left side like so:
<em>3x² + 4x = 2 </em><em>| subtract 2 from each side
</em>3x² + 4x - 2 = 0
Now, we need to find two numbers that add to our x coefficient 4 and multiply to make -6. (our x² coefficient times our constant) There's no whole number answer to that, so factoring isn't going to work.
<em>If we had something like 2x² + 13x + 15 = 0, here's how we'd factor:
</em><em>We want two numbers that add to 13 and multiply to 30...these would be 10 and 3.
</em><em>Now we "split the middle" into these numbers.
</em><em>2x² + 10x + 3x + 15 = 0
</em><em>Factor the first two and last two terms. You should get the same thing inside the parentheses of each.
</em><em>2x(x+5) + 3(x+5) = 0
</em><em>(2x+3)(x+5) = 0
</em><em>Any value of x which causes a factor to equal zero would be a solution.
</em><em>2x + 3 = 0 </em>⇒ <em>2x = -3 </em>⇒ <em>x = -3/2
</em><em>x + 5 = 0 </em>⇒ <em>x = -5
</em>
Completing the squareFor this one, keep the constant on the right side.
<em>3x² + 4x = 2</em>
Our x² coefficient needs to be 1, so let's divide by 3.
<em>x² + 4/3x = 2/3
</em>Now we take our x coefficient, halve it, square it, and add it to each side.
<em>Half of 4/3 is 2/3, square that to get 4/9...
</em><em>x² + 4/3x + 4/9 = 2/3 + 4/9
</em><em>x² + 4/3x + 4/9 = 10/9
</em><em />Factor the perfect square trinomial on the left.
(Because we set this up as a perfect square trinomial, just halve the x coefficient and add that to x. Square it for your factored form.)
<em>(x+2/3)² = 10/9 | Take the square root of each side
x+2/3 = </em>±√<em>(10/9)
x+2/3 = </em>±√<em>(10)/3 | Subtract 2/3 from each side.
x = </em>±√<em>(10)/3-2/3
</em>Under one denominator...
x = (-2±√<em />10)/3
(answer C)
<em>
</em>
Using the quadratic formula<em />The solution to any quadratic
is
.
In the case of our quadratic 3x² + 4x - 2 = 0...
a = 3, b = 4, and c = -2.
Plug these into our formula and simplify.