Help with rational expressions plz

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July 19th 2009, 04:27 PM
ohiostatefan

Help with rational expressions plz

If anybody could help, I have a math exam tomorrow, and I'm working on the review...but I've been having alot of trouble. Usually I can figure this stuff out by studying my notes...but I'm at a loss. Any help would be appreciated. The first three are problems that I don't understand, the rest are ones that I've completed, but I'm not sure if they're right.

1. $x^2+x=20$

2. Solve by quadratic formula:

$2x^2-5x=2$

3. Solve by completing the square:

$x^2+8x-9=0$

And the ones that I've completed, but not sure if they're right...I would appreciate if you could check these out.

1. $6y \sqrt{27x^3y} - 3x \sqrt{12xy^3} + xy \sqrt{4xy}$

I got:

$12xy \sqrt{3xy} + 2xy \sqrt{xy}$

2. $(4 \sqrt{x} + 3 \sqrt{y})(2 \sqrt{x} - 5 \sqrt{y})$

I got:

$8x-14 \sqrt{xy} - 15y$

3. $\frac{\sqrt 75a^8b^5}{\sqrt 5ab^2}$

I got:

$b \sqrt{15a^7b}$
July 19th 2009, 05:03 PM
pickslides

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohiostatefan

1. $x^2+x=20$

$x^2+x-20=0$

factors of 20 that add to give 1 are -4 & -5 so

$(x-4)(x+5)$

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohiostatefan

2. Solve by quadratic formula:

$2x^2-5x=2$

$2x^2-5x-2=0$

$x = \frac{-b\pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}$

in your case $a = 2, b= -5$ and $c = -2$

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohiostatefan

3. Solve by completing the square:

$x^2+8x-9=0$

$(x^2+8x+16)-9-16=0$

$(x+4)^2-9-16=0$

$(x+4)^2-25=0$

the square is now complete, now solve!
July 19th 2009, 05:09 PM
pickslides

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohiostatefan

If
And the ones that I've completed, but not sure if they're right...I would appreciate if you could check these out.

1. $6y \sqrt{27x^3y} - 3x \sqrt{12xy^3} + xy \sqrt{4xy}$

I got:

$12xy \sqrt{3xy} + 2xy \sqrt{xy}$

2. $(4 \sqrt{x} + 3 \sqrt{y})(2 \sqrt{x} - 5 \sqrt{y})$

I got:

$8x-14 \sqrt{xy} - 15y$

3. $\frac{\sqrt 75a^8b^5}{\sqrt 5ab^2}$

I got:

$b \sqrt{15a^7b}$

I agree with all your answers except the last problem, should be $\sqrt{15}a^7b^3$
July 19th 2009, 05:29 PM
Stroodle

Would you not be required to express the answer in its simplest form?

i.e. $a^3 b\sqrt{15ab}$

Thanks :)

*edit - Actually is the question supposed to be $\frac{\sqrt{75}a^8b^5}{\sqrt{5}ab^2}$ ? Because then the answer would be $a^7b^3\sqrt{15}$ . The above would be the answer to $\frac{\sqrt{75a^8b^5}}{\sqrt{5ab^2}}$ . As it's written the question looks like $\frac{\sqrt{7}\times 5a^8b^5}{\sqrt{5}ab^2}$ which $=a^7b^3\sqrt{35}$ .