document.write( "Question 290512: Hello,
\n" ); document.write( "I need help with this 3 part problem. I have no clue what to do. Thank you so much for all your help.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "here is the problem
\n" ); document.write( "A) Together Steve and Heather’s ages add up to be ten. If we let \"x\" be Steve’s age, setup the polynomial describing Heather’s age (as a function, or dependent, of Steve's. The answer should fill in the blank “Heather’s age is _____”, without any equal sign within it. How many terms does your expression have? What type of polynomial is it?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "B) The product (multiplication) of Steve and Heather’s ages (yes, the same Steve and Heather as in problem #1) is 21. Combining with the information in part A, setup the new expression. Do not simplify it.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "C) Expand and simplify (by combining like terms) the above factoring expression. Which property do you use to expand it? Put the resulting expression in the format such that the right-hand side of the equal sign is zero. How many terms does the left-hand side have? What type of polynomial is it?\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "thank you again
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Algebra.Com's Answer #210227 by richwmiller(17219)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First of all, it is not a good idea to use x for steve's age
\n" ); document.write( "It is better to use s for Steve and h for Heather. It is easy to confuse x and y but not so easy to confuse s and h.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "x+h=10
\n" ); document.write( "for Together Steve and Heather’s ages add up to be ten.
\n" ); document.write( "h=10-x
\n" ); document.write( "If we let \"x\" be Steve’s age, setup the polynomial describing Heather’s age (as a function, or dependent, of Steve's.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The problem is poorly written.
\n" ); document.write( "At one moment it is talking about polynomials, expressions and functions and talking as if they are one thing.
\n" ); document.write( "The function that we wrote for heather's age is not the same as the expression that we wrote for steve and heather's age.
\n" ); document.write( "Expressions have no equal sign functions and equations do.
\n" ); document.write( "The expression for heather's age is 10-x
\n" ); document.write( "There are two terms in the expressions- a variable and a constant.
\n" ); document.write( "The function that we set up has three terms h,x and 10 the constant.
\n" ); document.write( "h=10-x
\n" ); document.write( "The polynomial 10-x is a one variable polynomial with one variable and one constant. It of the first degree.
\n" ); document.write( "but the function h=10-x has three terms two variables and one constant.
\n" ); document.write( "It is also of the first degree.
\n" ); document.write( "It is a first degree two variable function.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "h*x=21
\n" ); document.write( "h+x=10
\n" ); document.write( "one is 7 and and the other is 3
\n" ); document.write( "if we want to solve for heather's age
\n" ); document.write( "we plug in 10-h for x
\n" ); document.write( "h*(10-h)=21
\n" ); document.write( "10h-h^2=21
\n" ); document.write( "It is now quadratic of degree 2
\n" ); document.write( "-h^2+10h-21=0
\n" ); document.write( "multiply by -1
\n" ); document.write( "or
\n" ); document.write( "add inverses to both sides
\n" ); document.write( "h^2-10h+21=0
\n" ); document.write( "(h-7)*(h-3)=0
\n" ); document.write( "h=7 and 3\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I don't like the problem because it is confusing terms.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Any questions?
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