SOLUTION: Please help me solve this problem: log2 (x-1)+ log2 (x+3)=3

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Question 734070: Please help me solve this problem:
log2 (x-1)+ log2 (x+3)=3

Found 2 solutions by lwsshak3, nerdybill:
Answer by lwsshak3(11628) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Please help me solve this problem:
log2 (x-1)+ log2 (x+3)=3
log2[ (x-1)(x+3)]=3
log2[(x-1)(x+3)]=log2(8)
(x-1)(x+3)=8
x^2+2x-3=8
x^2+2x-11=0
solve for x by quadratic formula:
x≈-4.4641 (reject, (x+3)>0)
or
x≈2.4641

Answer by nerdybill(7384) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
log2 (x-1)+ log2 (x+3)=3
log2 ((x-1)(x+3)) = 3
(x-1)(x+3) = 2^3
x^2+3x-x-3 = 8
x^2+2x-3 = 8
x^2+2x-11 = 0
applying the "quadratic formula" we get:
x = {2.46, -4.46}
Throw out the negative answer (extraneous) leaving:
x = 2.46
.
Details of quadratic formula follows:
Solved by pluggable solver: SOLVE quadratic equation with variable
Quadratic equation ax%5E2%2Bbx%2Bc=0 (in our case 1x%5E2%2B2x%2B-11+=+0) has the following solutons:

x%5B12%5D+=+%28b%2B-sqrt%28+b%5E2-4ac+%29%29%2F2%5Ca

For these solutions to exist, the discriminant b%5E2-4ac should not be a negative number.

First, we need to compute the discriminant b%5E2-4ac: b%5E2-4ac=%282%29%5E2-4%2A1%2A-11=48.

Discriminant d=48 is greater than zero. That means that there are two solutions: +x%5B12%5D+=+%28-2%2B-sqrt%28+48+%29%29%2F2%5Ca.

x%5B1%5D+=+%28-%282%29%2Bsqrt%28+48+%29%29%2F2%5C1+=+2.46410161513775
x%5B2%5D+=+%28-%282%29-sqrt%28+48+%29%29%2F2%5C1+=+-4.46410161513775

Quadratic expression 1x%5E2%2B2x%2B-11 can be factored:
1x%5E2%2B2x%2B-11+=+1%28x-2.46410161513775%29%2A%28x--4.46410161513775%29
Again, the answer is: 2.46410161513775, -4.46410161513775. Here's your graph:
graph%28+500%2C+500%2C+-10%2C+10%2C+-20%2C+20%2C+1%2Ax%5E2%2B2%2Ax%2B-11+%29