document.write( "Question 1164447: The problem is 8x^3=125. Why can't I simply take the cubed root of both sides to get 2x=5, and from there get x=5/2?\r
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document.write( "The solutions I have seen require I move all terms to the left and set the equation equal to zero, factor using difference of cubes formula, and solve from there, giving me x= 5/2, and x=-5+/-5i(square root of 3) all over 4. I don't understand why I can't just solve it as the equation is given, instead of setting everything to 0. Thank you! \n" );
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Algebra.Com's Answer #788842 by ikleyn(52817)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! .\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In this concrete case, you can.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In this case, until you restrict yourself by real numbers, you can.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In more complicated cases, the cubic root from a number is a complex number, and even not one complex number,\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "but THREE, instead.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So, in this complex case, after taking the cubic root, you may have 3 values of the cubic root on the left side \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "and 3 cubic root values on the right side --- and how then you will decide who is equal to whom ?\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "It is the story . . . \r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "After reading the post by tutor @MathTherapy.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \r\n" ); document.write( " When you take the CUBE ROOT, you DO NOT NEED to write +-.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( "\r\n" ); document.write( " Until you work with real numbers, keep the sign of the resulting real number (cube root) \r\n" ); document.write( " SAME as the number UNDER the cube root sign.\r\n" ); document.write( "\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The post by @MathTherapy is a mistake.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |