While playing in a garden, Samaira saw a honeycomb and asked her mother about it. Her mother replied that it is a honeycomb. Also, she told her that the shape of the honeycomb formed is a mathematical structure. The mathematical representation of the honeycomb is shown in the graph. Based on the above information, answer the following questions : (i) How many zeroes are there for the polynomial represented by the graph given ? (ii) Write the zeroes of the polynomial. (iii) (a) If the zeroes of a polynomial x2+(a+1)x+bx^2 + (a + 1) x + b are 2 and 3, then determine the values of a and b. OR (iii) (b) If the square of difference of the zeroes of the polynomial x2+px+45x^2 + px + 45 is 144, then find the value of p.

Answer: (i) There are 3 zeroes. (ii) The zeroes are -2, 1, and 3. (iii) (a) a=−6a = -6, b=6b = 6. (iii) (b) p=±18p = \pm 18.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Identify Zeroes from Graph

The zeroes of a polynomial are the xx -values where the graph intersects the xx -axis. By observing the given graph, we can see that the curve crosses the xx -axis at three distinct points: x=−2x = -2, x=1x = 1, and x=3x = 3. Therefore, there are three zeroes for the polynomial.

Step 2: Solve Part (iii) (a): Find a and b using sum and product of zeroes

For a quadratic polynomial Ax2+Bx+CAx^2 + Bx + C, the sum of the zeroes is given by −B/A-B/A and the product of the zeroes is given by C/AC/A. Given the polynomial x2+(a+1)x+bx^2 + (a+1)x + b and zeroes 2 and 3, we can set up two equations. The sum of zeroes is 2+3=52+3=5, which equals −(a+1)-(a+1). The product of zeroes is 2×3=62 \times 3=6, which equals bb. Solving these equations gives a=−6a=-6 and b=6b=6.

Step 3: Solve Part (iii) (b): Find p using difference of zeroes

For the polynomial x2+px+45x^2 + px + 45, let the zeroes be α\alpha and β\beta. The sum of zeroes is α+β=−p\alpha + \beta = -p and the product of zeroes is αβ=45\alpha \beta = 45. We are given that the square of the difference of the zeroes is 144, i.e., (α−β)2=144(\alpha - \beta)^2 = 144. We use the identity (α−β)2=(α+β)2−4αβ(\alpha - \beta)^2 = (\alpha + \beta)^2 - 4\alpha\beta. Substituting the values, we get (−p)2−4(45)=144(-p)^2 - 4(45) = 144, which simplifies to p2−180=144p^2 - 180 = 144. Solving for pp, we find p2=324p^2 = 324, so p=±18p = \pm 18.

More from this chapter

All Polynomials solutions →

Solve your own maths question free →