document.write( "Question 166538: What is the sum of the roots of the equation
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Algebra.Com's Answer #122733 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Remember the quadratic formula is:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F%282a%29\" note: \"a%3C%3E0\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now let \"w=sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29\" (to simplify things a bit)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the quadratic formula becomes\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+w%29%2F%282a%29\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "which really breaks down to\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B+w%29%2F%282a%29\" or \"x+=+%28-b+-+w%29%2F%282a%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the first root is \"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-b+%2B+w%29%2F%282a%29\" and the second root is \"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-b+-+w%29%2F%282a%29\" \r
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Adding the Roots:

\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5B1%5D%2Bx%5B2%5D\" Now let's add the roots\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-b+%2B+w%29%2F%282a%29%2B%28-b+-+w%29%2F%282a%29\" Plug in \"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-b+%2B+w%29%2F%282a%29\" and \"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-b+-+w%29%2F%282a%29\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-b+%2B+w-b+-+w%29%2F%282a%29\" Combine the fractions.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28%28-b-b%29+%2B+%28w-w%29%29%2F%282a%29\" Group like terms.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%28-2b%29%2F%282a%29\" Combine like terms. Notice how the \"w\" terms cancel each other out completely.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-b%2Fa\" Reduce\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So this shows us that the sum of the roots of \"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc\" is \"-b%2Fa\"\r
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