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2013 Paper 1 Q1
D: 1516.0 B: 1516.0
quadratics substitution surds square root disguised quadratic inequality real roots

  1. Use the substitution \(\sqrt x = y\) (where \(y\ge0\)) to find the real root of the equation \[ x + 3\, \sqrt x - \tfrac12 =0\,. \]
  2. Find all real roots of the following equations:
    • \(x+10\,\sqrt{x+2\, }\, -22 =0\,\);
    • \(x^2 -4x + \sqrt{2x^2 -8x-3 \,}\, -9 =0\,\).

Solution:

  1. \begin{align*} && 0 &= x + 3\sqrt{x} - \frac12 \\ \sqrt{x} = y: && 0&= y^2 + 3y - \frac12 \\ \Rightarrow && y &= \frac{-3\pm\sqrt{3^2+2}}{2} \\ &&&= \frac{-3 \pm \sqrt{11}}{2} \\ y > 0: && x &= \left ( \frac{\sqrt{11}-3}{2} \right)^2 \end{align*}
    • \begin{align*} && 0 &= x + 10\sqrt{x+2} - 22 \\ y = \sqrt{x+2}: && 0 &= y^2 - 2 + 10y - 22 \\ &&&= y^2 + 10y - 24 \\ &&&= (y-2)(y+12) \\ \Rightarrow && y &= 2, -12 \\ y > 0: && x &= 2 \end{align*}
    • Let \(y = \sqrt{2x^2-8x-3}\), so \begin{align*} && 0 &= x^2 - 4x +\sqrt{2x^2-8x-3} - 9 \\ && 0 &= \frac{y^2+3}{2} + y - 9 \\ &&&= \frac12 y^2 +y - \frac{15}{2} \\ &&&= \frac12 (y-3)(y+5) \\ \Rightarrow && y &= 3,-5 \\ y > 0: && 9 &= 2x^2-8x-3 \\ \Rightarrow && 0 &= 2x^2-8x-12 \\ &&&= 2(x^2-4x-6) \\ \Rightarrow && x &= 2 \pm \sqrt{10} \end{align*}

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