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Question 1
(a) In the expansion of $(2x + 1)(x^{2} + px + 4)$, where $p \in \mathbb{N}$, the coefficient of $x$ is twice the coefficient of $x^{2}$. Find the value of $p$. (b)... show full transcript
Step 1
Answer
To solve for , we start by expanding the expression:
\begin{align*} (2x + 1)(x^2 + px + 4) & = 2x(x^2) + 2x(px) + 2x(4) + 1(x^2) + 1(px) + 1(4) \\ & = 2x^3 + 2px^2 + 8x + x^2 + px + 4 \\ & = 2x^3 + (2p + 1)x^2 + (8 + p)x + 4. \end{align*}
Next, identify the coefficients:
According to the problem, the coefficient of is twice the coefficient of :
Expanding this gives:
Rearranging the equation:
Thus, solving for gives:
$$p = 2.$
Step 2
Answer
First, we eliminate the fractions by finding a common denominator. The common denominator is :
Multiplying every term by the common denominator results in:
Expanding each term:
Thus, we have:
Combining the terms gives:
Rearranging:
Now, applying the quadratic formula:
Calculating the discriminant:
Substituting back gives:
This yields the solutions for . Thus, the final answers are:
$$x = \frac{-7 + \sqrt{1249}}{24} \text{ or } x = \frac{-7 - \sqrt{1249}}{24}, \text{ ensuring both are valid as long as } x \neq -\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{3}.$
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