document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=51308>Question 51308</A>This question is from textbook <A HREF=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0073016020/algebrahomeworkh></A><BR>\n" );
document.write( ": <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I am using the quadratic formula on 3x^2 = 11x + 4; 3x^2 - 11x + 4 = 0; 3x^2 - 11x - 4 = -2; I have to convert the 5.5 to a fraction, but I am confused. The answer is 1/3,-4 or the other way around (I think). I need an assist please. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #34238 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=rapaljer><B>rapaljer(4671)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=rapaljer><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=rapaljer><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=34238\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I'm confused too!!  You have three different quadratic equations, and I don't see how any of them relate to changing  5.5 to a fraction.  \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "However, the first equation is <BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2=11x+%2B4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2=11x+%2B4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, which becomes <BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2-11x-4=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2-11x-4=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, which factors into<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%283x%2B1%29%28x-4%29+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%283x%2B1%29%28x-4%29+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%2B1=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%2B1=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x-4=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x-4=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=-1%2F3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=-1%2F3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > or <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This works very well by factoring, so you don't need the quadratic formula, unless you specifically wanted to do it by quadratic formula.  In this case, algebra.com has a \"pluggable solver\" that looks like this:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " <TR><TD  ALIGN=MIDDLE>Solved by <A  rel=nofollow HREF=http://wiki.algebra.com/index.php/Tutoring_-_pluggable_solvers>pluggable</A> solver: <A  rel=nofollow HREF=solve_quadratic_equation.solver>SOLVE quadratic equation (work shown, graph etc)</A></TD></TR>\n" );
document.write( "<TR><TD  ALIGN=LEFT>Quadratic equation <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > (in our case <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2%2B-11x%2B-4+=+0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B-11x%2B-4+=+0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >) has the following solutons:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  For these solutions to exist, the <U>discriminant</U> <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > should not be a negative number.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  First, we need to compute the discriminant <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=b%5E2-4ac=%28-11%29%5E2-4%2A3%2A-4=169 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"b%5E2-4ac=%28-11%29%5E2-4%2A3%2A-4=169\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Discriminant d=169 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=+x%5B12%5D+=+%28--11%2B-sqrt%28+169+%29%29%2F2%5Ca ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"+x%5B12%5D+=+%28--11%2B-sqrt%28+169+%29%29%2F2%5Ca\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%28-11%29%2Bsqrt%28+169+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%28-11%29%2Bsqrt%28+169+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%28-11%29-sqrt%28+169+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+-0.333333333333333 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%28-11%29-sqrt%28+169+%29%29%2F2%5C3+=+-0.333333333333333\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "    <BR>\n" );
document.write( "    Quadratic expression <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2%2B-11x%2B-4 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B-11x%2B-4\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > can be factored:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "  <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=3x%5E2%2B-11x%2B-4+=+%28x-4%29%2A%28x--0.333333333333333%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"3x%5E2%2B-11x%2B-4+=+%28x-4%29%2A%28x--0.333333333333333%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "  Again, the answer is: 4, -0.333333333333333.\n" );
document.write( "Here's your graph:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+3%2Ax%5E2%2B-11%2Ax%2B-4+%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+3%2Ax%5E2%2B-11%2Ax%2B-4+%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ></TD></TR>\n" );
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document.write( "R^2 at SCC </SPAN>\n" );
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