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Math III Videos 103 videos

Unit Rate
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Approximately 874 people per day wonder what a unit rate is. If you're one of them, check out our video on unit rates and how to use them. (We just...

Solving Proportions Using Cross Products
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This video covers how to use cross products to solve for a missing number in a proportion by setting that proportion with a variable over the produ...

GED Math 2.4 Rational Numbers
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GED Math 2.4 Rational Numbers. Lucius's favorite restaurant is how many km from his home?

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ACT Math 3.3 Elementary Algebra 233 Views


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Description:

ACT Math Section: Elementary Algebra Drill 3, Problem 3. Solve for x.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

And here is your shmoop de jour.

00:05

Solve for x: x squared plus 6x plus 8 equals 0

00:09

And here are the potential answers...

00:16

OK. Any time we see equations in this format -- where there's an x squared then and

00:21

x then an integer -- odds are high that they're asking us to factor.

00:25

What 2 numbers can be multiplied to get 8... and can also be added to get 6?

00:31

Well, the factors of 8 are 1 and 8; that won't work...

00:38

...what about 2 and 4? Ding ding ding!

00:40

So... 2 times 4 is 8... and 2 PLUS 4 is 6... so we can just rewrite the factored version as

00:49

The quantity x plus 2 times the quantity x plus 4... equals zero.

00:54

Now if either of these guys is 0, the whole equation is zero because zero times anything...

00:59

is zero. Yeah, it brings everyone else down to its level.

01:00

So if x is negative 2, this part is 0... and if x is negative 4, this part is 0.

01:06

x has to be one of those answers... and OUR answer here is either A or B... which is...

01:11

option D. Done

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