document.write( "Question 535600: a number is added to five time its reciprocal is -6. Find the number. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #351963 by bucky(2189)![]() ![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! As you described it, the problem you are trying to solve is: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Get rid of the denominator by multiplying both sides of the equation (all terms) by x and you have: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Note that the first term on the left side becomes \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Also note that in the second term on the left side, you can cancel the multiplier x with the denominator x. After these two actions the equation becomes: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "which simplifies to: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Get rid of the -6x on the right side by adding +6x to both sides to get: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "This quadratic equation can be factored as shown below: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Note that this equation will be true if either of the factors is equal to zero. If either factor is equal to zero the left side will have a multiplication by zero and will, therefore, equal the zero on the right side. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "So we can solve this equation by finding what numbers will make the two factors equal to zero. Do this by setting each factor (one at a time) equal to zero to get: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "and \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Your problem has two correct answers. They are x = -5 and x = -1. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "You can check these answers by returning to the original problem and substituting these values one at a time for x. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "set x = -5 and you have: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Then set x = -1 and you have: \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Both answers are OK because they make the original problem true. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem. \n" ); document.write( ". \n" ); document.write( " |