PSAT Math › Equations / Solution Sets
Factor the following equation.
x2 – 16
(x + 4)(x + 4)
(x – 4)(x – 4)
(x + 4)(x – 4)
(x)(x – 4)
(x2)(4 – 2)
The correct answer is (x + 4)(x – 4)
We neen to factor x2 – 16 to solve. We know that each parenthesis will contain an x to make the x2. We know that the root of 16 is 4 and since it is negative and no value of x is present we can tell that one 4 must be positive and the other negative. If we work it from the multiple choice answers we will see that when multiplying it out we get x2 + 4x – 4x – 16. 4x – 4x cancels out and we are left with our answer.
If , what is the solution set for
?
To find the solution set, you must solve the equation; in this case, solving the equation means isolating on one side of the equation, and the numbers on the other side of the equation.
That is done like this:
K = -9 or 9 because either number is the square root of 81. To see that that's true, square both numbers. and
.
This is very important to remember: whenever you're isolating a variable by taking the square root of a squared number, the answer can be a positive OR negative value, as long as they share an absolute value!
If , what is the solution set for
?
To find the solution set, you must solve the equation; in this case, solving the equation means isolating on one side of the equation, and the numbers on the other side of the equation.
That is done like this:
K = -9 or 9 because either number is the square root of 81. To see that that's true, square both numbers. and
.
This is very important to remember: whenever you're isolating a variable by taking the square root of a squared number, the answer can be a positive OR negative value, as long as they share an absolute value!
Factor the following equation.
x2 – 16
(x + 4)(x + 4)
(x – 4)(x – 4)
(x + 4)(x – 4)
(x)(x – 4)
(x2)(4 – 2)
The correct answer is (x + 4)(x – 4)
We neen to factor x2 – 16 to solve. We know that each parenthesis will contain an x to make the x2. We know that the root of 16 is 4 and since it is negative and no value of x is present we can tell that one 4 must be positive and the other negative. If we work it from the multiple choice answers we will see that when multiplying it out we get x2 + 4x – 4x – 16. 4x – 4x cancels out and we are left with our answer.
Without drawing a graph of either equation, find the point where the two lines intersect.
Line 1 :
Line 2 :
To find the point where these two lines intersect, set the equations equal to each other, such that is substituted with the
side of the second equation. Solving this new equation for
will give the
-coordinate of the point of intersection.
Subtract from both sides.
Divide both sides by 2.
Now substitute into either equation to find the
-coordinate of the point of intersection.
With both coordinates, we know the point of intersection is . One can plug in
for
and
for
in both equations to verify that this is correct.
if x – y = 4 and x2 – y = 34, what is x?
12
9
15
6
10
This can be solved by substitution and factoring.
x2 – y = 34 can be written as y = x2 – 34 and substituted into the other equation: x – y = 4 which leads to x – x2 + 34 = 4 which can be written as x2 – x – 30 = 0.
x2 – x – 30 = 0 can be factored to (x – 6)(x + 5) = 0 so x = 6 and –5 and because only 6 is a possible answer, it is the correct choice.
if x – y = 4 and x2 – y = 34, what is x?
12
9
15
6
10
This can be solved by substitution and factoring.
x2 – y = 34 can be written as y = x2 – 34 and substituted into the other equation: x – y = 4 which leads to x – x2 + 34 = 4 which can be written as x2 – x – 30 = 0.
x2 – x – 30 = 0 can be factored to (x – 6)(x + 5) = 0 so x = 6 and –5 and because only 6 is a possible answer, it is the correct choice.
Without drawing a graph of either equation, find the point where the two lines intersect.
Line 1 :
Line 2 :
To find the point where these two lines intersect, set the equations equal to each other, such that is substituted with the
side of the second equation. Solving this new equation for
will give the
-coordinate of the point of intersection.
Subtract from both sides.
Divide both sides by 2.
Now substitute into either equation to find the
-coordinate of the point of intersection.
With both coordinates, we know the point of intersection is . One can plug in
for
and
for
in both equations to verify that this is correct.
Give the solution to the system of equations below.
No solution
Solve the second equation for , allowing us to solve using the substitution method.
Substitute for in the first equation, and solve for
.
Now, substitute for in either equation; we will choose the second. This allows us to solve for
.
Now we can write the solution in the notation , or
.
If x_2 + 2_ax + 81 = 0. When a = 9, what is the value of x?
0
3
9
–9
–18
When a = 9, then x_2 + 2_ax + 81 = 0 becomes
x_2 + 18_x + 81 = 0.
This equation can be factored as (x + 9)2 = 0.
Therefore when a = 9, x = –9.