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Quadratic Simultaneous Equations Simplified Revision Notes

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2.3.3 Quadratic Simultaneous Equations

Quadratic Simultaneous Equations

Quadratic simultaneous equations involve solving a system where at least one equation is quadratic. These systems typically consist of one linear equation and one quadratic equation, though both equations can sometimes be quadratic.

infoNote

Example of a System:

1. Linear equation: y=2x+1\text{1. Linear equation: } y = 2x + 1 2. Quadratic equation: y=x2+3x+2\text{2. Quadratic equation: } y = x^2 + 3x + 2


Steps to Solve:

  1. Substitute the Linear Equation into the Quadratic:
  • Since  y=2x+1\ y = 2x + 1 from the linear equation, substitute this into the quadratic equation: 2x+1=x2+3x+22x + 1 = x^2 + 3x + 2
  1. Rearrange to Form a Quadratic Equation:
  • Move all terms to one side to set the equation to zero: x2+3x+22x1=0x2+x+1=0x^2 + 3x + 2 - 2x - 1 = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x^2 + x + 1 = 0
  1. Solve the Quadratic Equation:
  • Solve the quadratic equation  x2+x+1=0\ x^2 + x + 1 = 0 using the quadratic formula: x=b±b24ac2ax = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}
  • Here, (a=1),(b=1),and(c=1) \ ( a = 1 ), ( b = 1 ), and ( c = 1 ): x=1±124(1)(1)2(1)=1±142=1±32x = \frac{-1 \pm \sqrt{1^2 - 4(1)(1)}}{2(1)} = \frac{-1 \pm \sqrt{1 - 4}}{2} = \frac{-1 \pm \sqrt{-3}}{2}
  • Since the discriminant  Δ=3\ \Delta = -3 is negative, the solutions are complex: x=1±3i2x = \frac{-1 \pm \sqrt{3}i}{2}
  1. Find the Corresponding yy Values:
  • Substitute the complex values of  x\ x back into the linear equation to find the corresponding  y\ y values: y=2(1+3i2)+1=1+3i+1=3iy = 2\left(\frac{-1 + \sqrt{3}i}{2}\right) + 1 = -1 + \sqrt{3}i + 1 = \sqrt{3}i
  • Similarly, for (x=13i2),(y=3i).( x = \frac{-1 - \sqrt{3}i}{2} ), ( y = -\sqrt{3}i ).

Interpretation:

  • Real Solutions: If the quadratic equation produces real roots, the intersection points of the curves are real and can be plotted on a coordinate plane.
  • Complex Solutions: If the quadratic equation produces complex roots, the curves do not intersect on the real plane.
infoNote

Example with Real Solutions:

Given: y=3x+2andy=x2+x6y = 3x + 2 \quad \text{and} \quad y = x^2 + x - 6

Steps:

  1. Substitute  (y=3x+2)into(y=x2+x6)\ ( y = 3x + 2 ) into ( y = x^2 + x - 6 ): 3x+2=x2+x63x + 2 = x^2 + x - 6
  2. Rearrange: x22x8=0x^2 - 2x - 8 = 0
  3. Solve using factorization: (x4)(x+2)=0x=4 or x=2(x - 4)(x + 2) = 0 \quad \Rightarrow \quad x = 4 \text{ or } x = -2
  4. Find  y\ y :
  • For  (x=4),(y=3(4)+2=14).\ ( x = 4 ), ( y = 3(4) + 2 = 14 ).
  • For  (x=2), y=3(2)+2=4\ ( x = -2 ), \ y = 3(-2) + 2 = -4 . Solution: The intersection points are  (4,14) and (2,4)\ (4, 14) \ and \ (-2, -4) .
infoNote

Example Problem:

Solve the simultaneous equations:

y=x2+3x+2(1)y = x^2 + 3x + 2 \tag{1}y=2x+4(2)y = 2x + 4 \tag{2}

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Set the equations equal to each other

Since both equations are equal to yy, we can set the right-hand sides of both equations equal to each other.

From equations (1) and (2):

x2+3x+2=2x+4x^2 + 3x + 2 = 2x + 4

Step 2: Rearrange the equation

Now, we need to rearrange the equation to form a standard quadratic equation ax2+bx+c=0.ax^2 + bx + c = 0.

Start by subtracting 2x+42x + 4 from both sides:

x2+3x+22x4=0x^2 + 3x + 2 - 2x - 4 = 0

Simplify:

x2+(3x2x)+(24)=0x^2 + (3x - 2x) + (2 - 4) = 0x2+x2=0x^2 + x - 2 = 0

Now, we have the quadratic equation:

x2+x2=0x^2 + x - 2 = 0

Step 3: Solve the quadratic equation

We can solve this quadratic equation by factorizing.

We need to find two numbers that multiply to give 2-2 (the constant term) and add to give 11 (the coefficient of xx).

These numbers are 2 and -1, so we can factor the quadratic as:

(x+2)(x1)=0(x + 2)(x - 1) = 0

Step 4: Solve for xx

Now, set each factor equal to zero:

x+2=0orx1=0x + 2 = 0 \quad \text{or} \quad x - 1 = 0

Solve these:

x=2orx=1x = -2 \quad \text{or} \quad x = 1

Step 5: Substitute the xx-values back into the linear equation

Now that we have two possible values for xx, we need to substitute each one into the linear equation y=2x+4y = 2x + 4 to find the corresponding yy-values.

  • For x=2:x = -2:
y=2(2)+4=4+4=0y = 2(-2) + 4 = -4 + 4 = 0
  • For x = 1:
y=2(1)+4=2+4=6y = 2(1) + 4 = 2 + 4 = 6

Final Answer:

The solutions to the system of equations are:

(x,y)=(2,0)or(x,y)=(1,6)(x, y) = (-2, 0) \quad \text{or} \quad (x, y) = (1, 6)

So, the two points where the quadratic and linear equations intersect are:

(2,0)and(1,6)(-2, 0) \quad \text{and} \quad (1, 6)

Let me know if you'd like more practice or further explanation on any steps!

Summary:

  • Substitution is the primary method for solving quadratic simultaneous equations.
  • Solve the resulting quadratic equation for  x\ x , and then find  y.\ y .
  • Check the nature of the discriminant to determine whether the solutions are real or complex.
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