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#1 2023-11-07 03:50:08

sologuitar
Member
Registered: 2022-09-19
Posts: 467

Find Value of a

If (a, -5) is a point on the graph of y = x^2 + 6x, what is a?


Let me see.


Let y = -5


Let x = a


-5 = a^2 + 6a


a^2 + 6a + 5 = 0


Factor.


(a + 1) (x + 5) = 0


a + 1 = 0


a = -1


a + 5 = 0


a = -5


I got two values for a. Which one is right? Are they both right?


You say?

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#2 2023-11-07 03:54:05

amnkb
Member
Registered: 2023-09-19
Posts: 253

Re: Find Value of a

harpazo1965 wrote:

If (a, -5) is a point on the graph of y = x^2 + 6x, what is a?

-5 = a^2 + 6a

a^2 + 6a + 5 = 0

(a + 1) (x + 5) = 0

a = -1

a = -5

I got two values for a. Which one is right? Are they both right?

quadratics usually have 2 sol'ns
to check your ans plug it back into the problme
what does (-1)^2 + 6(-1) equal
what does (-5)^2 + 6(-5) equal

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#3 2023-11-08 09:35:07

sologuitar
Member
Registered: 2022-09-19
Posts: 467

Re: Find Value of a

amnkb wrote:
harpazo1965 wrote:

If (a, -5) is a point on the graph of y = x^2 + 6x, what is a?

-5 = a^2 + 6a

a^2 + 6a + 5 = 0

(a + 1) (x + 5) = 0

a = -1

a = -5

I got two values for a. Which one is right? Are they both right?

quadratics usually have 2 sol'ns
to check your ans plug it back into the problme
what does (-1)^2 + 6(-1) equal
what does (-5)^2 + 6(-5) equal

(-1)^2 + 6(-1) = (1) - 6 = -5


(-5)^2 + 6(-5) = (25) - 30 = - 5

The correct of a is -5.

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#4 2023-11-08 09:51:00

amnkb
Member
Registered: 2023-09-19
Posts: 253

Re: Find Value of a

harpazo1965 wrote:

(-1)^2 + 6(-1) = (1) - 6 = -5

(-5)^2 + 6(-5) = (25) - 30 = - 5

The correct of a is -5.

why do you say a = -1 is not a sol'n?

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#5 2023-11-09 11:02:25

sologuitar
Member
Registered: 2022-09-19
Posts: 467

Re: Find Value of a

amnkb wrote:
harpazo1965 wrote:

(-1)^2 + 6(-1) = (1) - 6 = -5

(-5)^2 + 6(-5) = (25) - 30 = - 5

The correct of a is -5.

why do you say a = -1 is not a sol'n?

Why? I was rushing through the math work.

Answers: a = -5, a = -1

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