SOLUTION: how do i solve this x+12/x=7

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Question 394489: how do i solve this x+12/x=7
Found 2 solutions by richard1234, MathLover1:
Answer by richard1234(7193) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I have changed the topic, since the question is not linear algebra (linear algebra studies vectors, vector spaces, and matrices).

Anyway, we have x+%2B+12%2Fx+=+7. Multiplying through by x,

x%5E2+%2B+12+=+7x

x%5E2+-+7x+%2B+12+=+0

This factors pretty nicely:

%28x-4%29%28x-3%29+=+0 --> x = 3, 4

Answer by MathLover1(20850) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

x%2B12%2Fx=7...both sides multiply by x
x%2Ax+%2B%2812%2Fx%29x+=+7x

x%2Ax+%2B%2812%2Fcross%28x%29%29cross%28x%29+=+7x

x%5E2+%2B12+=+7x...add -7x to both sides

x%5E2++-7x+%2B12++=+7x+-+7x

x%5E2++-7x+%2B12++=+0...use quadratic formula
Solved by pluggable solver: Quadratic Formula
Let's use the quadratic formula to solve for x:


Starting with the general quadratic


ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0


the general solution using the quadratic equation is:


x+=+%28-b+%2B-+sqrt%28+b%5E2-4%2Aa%2Ac+%29%29%2F%282%2Aa%29




So lets solve x%5E2-7%2Ax%2B12=0 ( notice a=1, b=-7, and c=12)





x+=+%28--7+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-7%29%5E2-4%2A1%2A12+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29 Plug in a=1, b=-7, and c=12




x+=+%287+%2B-+sqrt%28+%28-7%29%5E2-4%2A1%2A12+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29 Negate -7 to get 7




x+=+%287+%2B-+sqrt%28+49-4%2A1%2A12+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29 Square -7 to get 49 (note: remember when you square -7, you must square the negative as well. This is because %28-7%29%5E2=-7%2A-7=49.)




x+=+%287+%2B-+sqrt%28+49%2B-48+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29 Multiply -4%2A12%2A1 to get -48




x+=+%287+%2B-+sqrt%28+1+%29%29%2F%282%2A1%29 Combine like terms in the radicand (everything under the square root)




x+=+%287+%2B-+1%29%2F%282%2A1%29 Simplify the square root (note: If you need help with simplifying the square root, check out this solver)




x+=+%287+%2B-+1%29%2F2 Multiply 2 and 1 to get 2


So now the expression breaks down into two parts


x+=+%287+%2B+1%29%2F2 or x+=+%287+-+1%29%2F2


Lets look at the first part:


x=%287+%2B+1%29%2F2


x=8%2F2 Add the terms in the numerator

x=4 Divide


So one answer is

x=4




Now lets look at the second part:


x=%287+-+1%29%2F2


x=6%2F2 Subtract the terms in the numerator

x=3 Divide


So another answer is

x=3


So our solutions are:

x=4 or x=3