document.write( "Question 216454: the sum of a number and its reciprocal is 25\12 find the number \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #163439 by drj(1380)\"\" \"About 
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The sum of a number and its reciprocal is 25/12. Find the number\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Step 1. Let x be the number and 1/x be its reciprocal.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Step 2. Then, \"x%2B1%2Fx=25%2F12\" since the sum of a number and its reciprocal is 25/12.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Step 3. Multiply 12x to both sides of the equation to get rid of the denominators.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"12x%28x%2B1%2Fx%29=12x%2A25%2F12\" \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"12x%5E2%2B12=25x\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Step 4. Subtract 25x to put the equation in quadratic form \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"12x%5E2%2B12-25x=25x-25x\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"12x%5E2-25x%2B12=0\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Step 5. We can use the quadratic formula given as \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29+\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "where a=12, b=-25, and c=12.\r
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Solved by pluggable solver: SOLVE quadratic equation with variable
Quadratic equation \"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0\" (in our case \"12x%5E2%2B-25x%2B12+=+0\") has the following solutons:
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\n" ); document.write( " \"x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"
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\n" ); document.write( " For these solutions to exist, the discriminant \"b%5E2-4ac\" should not be a negative number.
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\n" ); document.write( " First, we need to compute the discriminant \"b%5E2-4ac\": \"b%5E2-4ac=%28-25%29%5E2-4%2A12%2A12=49\".
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\n" ); document.write( " Discriminant d=49 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: \"+x%5B12%5D+=+%28--25%2B-sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\".
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\n" ); document.write( " \"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%28-25%29%2Bsqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5C12+=+1.33333333333333\"
\n" ); document.write( " \"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%28-25%29-sqrt%28+49+%29%29%2F2%5C12+=+0.75\"
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\n" ); document.write( " Quadratic expression \"12x%5E2%2B-25x%2B12\" can be factored:
\n" ); document.write( " \"12x%5E2%2B-25x%2B12+=+12%28x-1.33333333333333%29%2A%28x-0.75%29\"
\n" ); document.write( " Again, the answer is: 1.33333333333333, 0.75.\n" ); document.write( "Here's your graph:
\n" ); document.write( "\"graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+12%2Ax%5E2%2B-25%2Ax%2B12+%29\"

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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So \"x=3%2F4\" or \"x=4%2F3\" (reciprocals of each other)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Check...\"3%2F4%2B4%2F3=9%2F12%2B16%2F12=25%2F12\" which is a true statement.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Step 6. ANSWER: The number is \"3%2F4\" or \"4%2F3\" which are reciprocals of each other\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I hope the above steps were helpful.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "For FREE Step-By-Step videos in Introduction to Algebra, please visit \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "http://www.FreedomUniversity.TV/courses/IntroAlgebra and for Trigonometry visit \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "http://www.FreedomUniversity.TV/courses/Trigonometry.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Good luck in your studies!\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Respectfully,
\n" ); document.write( "Dr J
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