Question 64-x-2

2.2 Nonlinear Equations in One Variable - Quadratic solving (factoring, quadratic formula, completing square)
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64x2-16a+4bx+ab=0

In the given equation, a and b are positive constants. The sum of the solutions to the given equation is  k4a+b, where k is a constant. What is the value of k ?

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64 x 2 - 16 a + 4 b x + a b = 0 In

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Nonlinear Equations in One Variable — Quadratic solving (factoring, quadratic formula, completing square). Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 1 16 . Let p and q represent the solutions to the given equation. Then, the given equation can be rewritten as 64x-px-q=0, or 64x2-64p+q+pq=0. Since this equation is equivalent to the given equation, it follows that -16a+4b=-64p+q. Dividing both sides of this equation by -64 yields 16a+4b64=p+q, or 1164a+b=p+q. Therefore, the sum of the solutions to the given equation, p+q, is equal to 1164a+b. Since it's given that the sum of the solutions to the given equation is k4a+b, where k is a constant, it follows that k = 1 16 . Note that 1/16, .0625, 0.062, and 0.063 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Alternate approach: The given equation can be rewritten as 64x2-44a+bx+ab=0, where a and b are positive constants. Dividing both sides of this equation by 4 yields 16x2-4a+bx+ab4=0. The solutions for a quadratic equation in the form Ax2+Bx+C=0, where A , B , and C are constants, can be calculated using the quadratic formula, x=-B+B2-4AC2A and x=-B-B2-4AC2A. It follows that the sum of the solutions to a quadratic equation in the form A x 2 + B x + C = 0 is -B+B2-4AC2A+-B-B2-4AC2A, which can be rewritten as -B+-B+B2-4AC-B2-4AC2A, which is equivalent to -2B2A, or - B A . In the equation 16x2-4a+bx+ab4=0, A = 16 B=-4a+b, and C = a b 4 . Substituting 16 for A and -4a+b for B in - B A yields --4a+b16, which can be rewritten as 1164a+b. Thus, the sum of the solutions to the given equation is 1164a+b. Since it's given that the sum of the solutions to the given equation is k4a+b, where k is a constant, it follows that k = 1 16