document.write( "Question 99578: 2/x+2/x-1=1 \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #72443 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\"2%2Fx%2B2%2F%28x-1%29=1\" Start with the given equation\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x%28x-1%29%282%2Fx%2B2%2F%28x-1%29%29=x%28x-1%29%281%29\" Multiply both sides by the LCD \"x%28x%2B1%29\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2%28x-1%29%2B2x=x%28x-1%29\" Distribute and multiply \r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"2x-2%2B2x=x%5E2-x\" Distribute again\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"0=x%5E2-5x%2B2\" Get all terms to one side\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( "Starting with the general quadratic\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the general solution using the quadratic equation is:\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( "So lets solve \"0=x%5E2-5%2Ax%2B2\" ( notice \"a=1\", \"b=-5\", and \"c=2\")\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%28--5+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-5%29%5E2-4%2A1%2A2+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Plug in a=1, b=-5, and c=2\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-5%29%5E2-4%2A1%2A2+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Negate -5 to get 5\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B-+sqrt%28+25-4%2A1%2A2+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Square -5 to get 25 (note: remember when you square -5, you must square the negative as well. This is because \"%28-5%29%5E2=-5%2A-5=25\".)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B-+sqrt%28+25%2B-8+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Multiply \"-4%2A2%2A1\" to get \"-8\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B-+sqrt%28+17+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Combine like terms in the radicand (everything under the square root)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B-+sqrt%2817%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29\" Simplify the square root (note: If you need help with simplifying the square root, check out this solver)\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B-+sqrt%2817%29%29%2F2\" Multiply 2 and 1 to get 2\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So now the expression breaks down into two parts\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x+=+%285+%2B+sqrt%2817%29%29%2F2\" or \"x+=+%285+-+sqrt%2817%29%29%2F2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now break up the fraction\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=%2B5%2F2%2Bsqrt%2817%29%2F2\" or \"x=%2B5%2F2-sqrt%2817%29%2F2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Simplify\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=5+%2F+2%2Bsqrt%2817%29%2F2\" or \"x=5+%2F+2-sqrt%2817%29%2F2\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So these expressions approximate to\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=4.56155281280883\" or \"x=0.43844718719117\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So our solutions are:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=4.56155281280883\" or \"x=0.43844718719117\"\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice when we graph \"x%5E2-5%2Ax%2B2\", we get:\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "when we use the root finder feature on a calculator, we find that \"x=4.56155281280883\" and \"x=0.43844718719117\".So this verifies our answer\r
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