Difference between revisions of "1951 AHSME Problems/Problem 16"
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[[Category:Introductory Algebra Problems]] | [[Category:Introductory Algebra Problems]] | ||
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Latest revision as of 11:20, 5 July 2013
Problem
If in applying the quadratic formula to a quadratic equation
it happens that , then the graph of will certainly:
Solution
The discriminant of the quadratic equation is . This indicates that the equation has only one root (applying the quadratic formula, we get ). Thus it follows that touches the x-axis exactly once, and hence is tangent to the x-axis .
See Also
1951 AHSC (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) | ||
Preceded by Problem 15 |
Followed by Problem 17 | |
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All AHSME Problems and Solutions |
The problems on this page are copyrighted by the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competitions.