The following proof aims to establish that
−4 = 0 - HSC - SSCE Mathematics Extension 2 - Question 2 - 2022 - Paper 1
Question 2
The following proof aims to establish that
−4 = 0.
Let
a = −4
⇒ a² = 16 and 4a + 4 = −12
(Line 1)
⇒ a² + 4a + 4 = 4
(Line 2)
⇒ (a + 2)² = 2²
(Line 3)
⇒ a + 2 ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The following proof aims to establish that
−4 = 0 - HSC - SSCE Mathematics Extension 2 - Question 2 - 2022 - Paper 1
Step 1
At which line is the implication incorrect?
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Answer
The implication is incorrect at Line 4. In the previous steps, we derived that
a+2=2. Solving this gives us
a = 0, which contradicts our initial assumption that
a = -4. Therefore, Line 4 is where the conclusion that
a = 0 is incorrect, as it does not adhere to the original assumption.