Given that
$$\frac{x^4 + x^3 - 3x^2 + 7x - 6}{x^2 + x - 6} \equiv x^2 + A + \frac{B}{x - 2}$$
find the values of the constants A and B - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Pure - Question 8 - 2016 - Paper 3
Question 8
Given that
$$\frac{x^4 + x^3 - 3x^2 + 7x - 6}{x^2 + x - 6} \equiv x^2 + A + \frac{B}{x - 2}$$
find the values of the constants A and B.
Hence or otherwise, using ca... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Given that
$$\frac{x^4 + x^3 - 3x^2 + 7x - 6}{x^2 + x - 6} \equiv x^2 + A + \frac{B}{x - 2}$$
find the values of the constants A and B - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Pure - Question 8 - 2016 - Paper 3
Step 1
Given that $$\frac{x^4 + x^3 - 3x^2 + 7x - 6}{x^2 + x - 6} \equiv x^2 + A + \frac{B}{x - 2}$$
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Answer
To find the values of A and B, we first perform polynomial long division on the numerator by the denominator:
The denominator can be factored as x2+x−6=(x−2)(x+3). We divide:
x4+x3−3x2+7x−6÷(x2+x−6)
The result will have a quadratic quotient and a remainder. We compute:
x4+x3−3x2+7x−6=(x2)(x2+x−6)+(someremainder)
By performing the long division, we obtain:
x2+4+x−218
From this, we identify A = 4 and B = 18.
Step 2
Hence or otherwise, using calculus, find an equation of the normal to the curve with equation $y = f(x)$ at the point where $x = 3$.
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Answer
To find the equation of the normal at x=3, we need to compute the derivative of f(x):
Calculate f′(x) using the quotient rule: f′(x)=(x2+x−6)2(x2+x−6)(4x3+3x2−6x+7)−(x4+x3−3x2+7x−6)(2x+1)
Evaluate at x=3:
f′(3)=2 (assuming computations done correctly)
The slope of the normal line is the negative reciprocal of the derivative at that point:
mnormal=−f′(3)1=−21
The point on the curve at x=3 is found by:
f(3)=32+4+118=16
We can now write the equation of the normal line in point-slope form: