document.write( "Question 194424: Problem with more than one solution.
\n" ); document.write( "Question: x/3 = 4/x+1
\n" ); document.write( " 4/x+1 - x/3 = 0
\n" ); document.write( " 3(x+1)4/x+1 - x/3 3(x+1) = 0
\n" ); document.write( " 3(4) - x(x+1) = 0
\n" ); document.write( " 12 - x^2 - x = 0
\n" ); document.write( " 12 - x^3 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "Did I go wrong or where do I go from here? Thank You.
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Algebra.Com's Answer #145876 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You made a mistake in assuming that \"-x%5E2-x=-x%5E3\" which is NOT true. You CANNOT combine variables of different powers.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "What you need to do is solve \"12+-+x%5E2+-+x+=+0\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"12+-+x%5E2+-+x+=+0\" Start with the given equation.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-+x%5E2+-+x+%2B+12=+0\" Rearrange the terms.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%5E2+%2B+x+-+12=+0\" Multiply EVERY term by -1 to make the leading coefficient positive.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice we have a quadratic equation in the form of \"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc\" where \"a=1\", \"b=1\", and \"c=-12\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's use the quadratic formula to solve for x\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\" Start with the quadratic formula\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-%281%29+%2B-+sqrt%28+%281%29%5E2-4%281%29%28-12%29+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Plug in \"a=1\", \"b=1\", and \"c=-12\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B-+sqrt%28+1-4%281%29%28-12%29+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Square \"1\" to get \"1\". \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B-+sqrt%28+1--48+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Multiply \"4%281%29%28-12%29\" to get \"-48\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B-+sqrt%28+1%2B48+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Rewrite \"sqrt%281--48%29\" as \"sqrt%281%2B48%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B-+sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F%282%281%29%29\" Add \"1\" to \"48\" to get \"49\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B-+sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F%282%29\" Multiply \"2\" and \"1\" to get \"2\". \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B-+7%29%2F%282%29\" Take the square root of \"49\" to get \"7\". \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-1+%2B+7%29%2F%282%29\" or \"x+=+%28-1+-+7%29%2F%282%29\" Break up the expression. \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%286%29%2F%282%29\" or \"x+=++%28-8%29%2F%282%29\" Combine like terms. \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+3\" or \"x+=+-4\" Simplify. \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the solutions are \"x+=+3\" or \"x+=+-4\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To verify the solutions, simply plug them back into \"x%2F3+=+4%2F%28x%2B1%29\"
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