Essential Mathematics for Economics and Business, 4 th Edition

CHAPTER 1: SOLVE EQUATIONS.

John Wiley and Sons 2013

www.wiley.com/college/Bradley John Wiley and Sons 2013
 Solving equations

Add
Takeorthe
Multiply or
Compare an equation to Square
subtract each
to of
divide each
square root
eachside
side
side
eachby N
side
a balance where the
LHS = RHS
LHS + NN = RHS + N
Left hand side =Right hand side

To maintain the balance

every operation on LHS
must also be carried out on
the RHS
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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (a)

2 x 3 5x 8
Subtract 2x from each side
2 x 2 x 3 5x 2 x 8 Simplify

3 3x 8
Add 8 to each side
3 8 3x 8 8
Simplify
11 3x
Divide each side by 3
11 x
3
x Solve for x
3
3
11
x
3
www.wiley.com/college/Bradley John Wiley and Sons 2013
Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (a).
(faster, without formal out explanations)
2 x 3 5x 8
Bring +2x to the other side
3 5x 2 x 8 Simplify

3 3x 8
Bring - 8 to the other side
3 8 3x
Simplify
11 3x
Divide both sides by 3 to
11 x
3
x solve for x
3
3
11
x
3
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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (a)
Check solution
2 x 3 5x 8 11
Solution x
3

Simplify the equation first.

11 3x
Then replace x by 11/3
3 11
11
1 3 The equation balances so
x = 11/3 is a solution
11 11

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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (b)
1 2
5
x x Add fractions on LHS
1 2
5
x
3

5 Multiply both sides
x 1
of the equation by x
3 x 3 5x 5 x

x 1 1 1
Divide both sides by 5.
3 x
5 Solve for x
x
5
5
0.6 x
www.wiley.com/college/Bradley John Wiley and Sons 2013
 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (b)
Check solution
1 2
5 Solution x = 0.6
x x
Replace each x by 0.6
1 2
5
0 .6 0 .6
3 The equation balances so
5
0 .6 x = 0.6 is a solution

55

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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (c).

x 2 4 x 6 2(2 x 5) Expand the bracket

Bring x-terms to one side:

x 4 x 6 4 x 10
2

constants to the other

x 2 4 x 4 x 10 6
Simplify
x 2 16
Take square root of each side
x 16 Two solutions
x 4 x4 x 4

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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (c)
Check the solutions
x 2 4 x 6 2(2 x 5) Solution 1 x 4

(4) 2 4(4) 6 2[2(4) 5] Substitute x = 4

26 26 Equation balances for x = 4

Solution 2 x 4

Substitute x = - 4
(4) 2 4(4) 6 2[2(4) 5]

6 6 Equation balances for x = - 4

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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (d)

x y 4
x equals 4 + y
x 4 y
But y can be any real number

For example y can be -20then x 4 20 16

y can be 0 then x 40 4
y can be 500 then x 4 500 504
etc.
Since there are infinitely many real numbers,
there are infinitely many solutions: x

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 Solve equations: Worked Example 1.8 (e).

x2 2x 0 x is a common factor to
both terms on the LHS

x ( x 2) 0 Factor the LHS

Since the RHS is zero,
the product on the
LHS must be zero

x0 x2 0 Hence two solutions:

x=0
x=2

x2
www.wiley.com/college/Bradley John Wiley and Sons 2013