Elvenwarrior2001
New member
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2011
- Messages
- 2
I'll begin with the problem, mention what steps I've taken, and then summarize.
Solve equation:
(x+1)/(2x2+11x-6) - (x)/(2x2-7x+3) = (1)/(x2+3x-18)
Since there are quadratic equations in the denominators I figured I'd factor them first. I came up with:
(x+1)/(x+6)(2x-1) - (x)/(2x-1)(x-3) = (1)/(x+6)(x-3)
From there I decided eliminated the denominator by multiplying each term by the LCD: (x+6)(2x-1)(x-3)
After eliminating the denominator I added like terms and came up with the following quadratic equation: x2-5x-1
x2-5x-1 can not be factored or simplified. Given that the answer is supposed to be a whole number or a simple fraction I figured this was obviously not the answer. Granted I could theoretically say the answer is 5 +/- the squareroot of 21 all over 2, but this is not an acceptable answer.
Here's where I'd like to mention that this is for online homework, i.e. I enter my answer into the required field in the form they want me to. For these types of problems they want it as a whole number or simple fraction. In fact, unlike most problems, there's note even an option to use the squareroot sign, or the plus or minus sign for that matter. I plugged in "NO SOLUTION" which is what you put if there's, of course, no solution; it told me I was wrong.
Is there something I'm doing wrong? This is supposed to come out as a whole number or simple fraction like I said, and I've run the numbers 10 or 15 times, and I even took the liberty of running it through a computer program just for kicks and the computer said "No solution," which I found to be hilarious.
Ideas?
Solve equation:
(x+1)/(2x2+11x-6) - (x)/(2x2-7x+3) = (1)/(x2+3x-18)
Since there are quadratic equations in the denominators I figured I'd factor them first. I came up with:
(x+1)/(x+6)(2x-1) - (x)/(2x-1)(x-3) = (1)/(x+6)(x-3)
From there I decided eliminated the denominator by multiplying each term by the LCD: (x+6)(2x-1)(x-3)
After eliminating the denominator I added like terms and came up with the following quadratic equation: x2-5x-1
x2-5x-1 can not be factored or simplified. Given that the answer is supposed to be a whole number or a simple fraction I figured this was obviously not the answer. Granted I could theoretically say the answer is 5 +/- the squareroot of 21 all over 2, but this is not an acceptable answer.
Here's where I'd like to mention that this is for online homework, i.e. I enter my answer into the required field in the form they want me to. For these types of problems they want it as a whole number or simple fraction. In fact, unlike most problems, there's note even an option to use the squareroot sign, or the plus or minus sign for that matter. I plugged in "NO SOLUTION" which is what you put if there's, of course, no solution; it told me I was wrong.
Is there something I'm doing wrong? This is supposed to come out as a whole number or simple fraction like I said, and I've run the numbers 10 or 15 times, and I even took the liberty of running it through a computer program just for kicks and the computer said "No solution," which I found to be hilarious.
Ideas?
