A square sandbox has an area of 42ft to the power of 2. What is the approximate perimeter of the sandbox to the nearest hundredth?

Yes, x – 4 is a factor of –2x5 + 6x4 + 10x3 – 6x2 – 9x + 4

Find all the factors of 15x4 + x3 – 52x2 + 20x + 16 by using synthetic division.

Remember that, if x = a is a zero, then x – a is a factor. So use the Rational Roots Test (and maybe a quick graph) to find a good value to test for a zero (x-intercept). I'll try x = 1:

completed division

This division gives a zero remainder, so x = 1 must be a zero, which means that  x – 1 is a factor. Since I divided a linear factor (namely, x – 1) out of the original polynomial, then my result has to be a cubic: 15x3 + 16x2 – 36x – 16. So I need to find another zero before I can apply the Quadratic Formula. I'll try x = –2:

completed division

Since I got a zero remainder, then x = –2 is a zero, so x + 2 is a factor. Plus, I'm now down to a quadratic, 15x2 – 14x – 8, which happens to factor as:

(3x – 4)(5x + 2)

Then the fully-factored form of the original polynomial is:

15x4 + x3 – 52x2 + 20x + 16

= (x – 1)(x + 2)(3x – 4)(5x + 2)

Given that  x = -3 + sqrt(11)   is a zero of x4 + 6x3 – 7x2 – 30x + 10, fully solve the

equation x4 + 6x3 – 7x2 – 30x + 10 = 0.

Since they have given me one of the zeroes, I'll use synthetic division to divide it out:

completed division

(You will probably want to use scratch paper for the computations required when manipulating the radical root.) Copyright © Elizabeth Stapel 2002-2011 All Rights Reserved

Since you only get these square-root answers by using the Quadratic Formula, and since the square-root part of the Formula is preceded by a "plus-minus" sign, then these square-root answers must always come in pairs. Thus, if x = -3 + sqrt(11) is a root, then so also must x = -3 - sqrt(11) be a root. So my next step is to divide by x = -3 - sqrt(11):

completed division

I had started with a fourth-power polynomial. After the first division, I was left with a cubic (with very nasty coefficients!). After the second division, I'm now down to a quadratic (x2 + 0x – 5, or just x2 – 5), which I know how to solve:

x = +/- sqrt(5)

Then the full solution is:

x = -3 +/- sqrt(11), +/- sqrt(5)

If you have studied complex numbers, then you may see a problem of the following type.

Given that 2 – i is a zero of x5 – 6x4 + 11x3 – x2 – 14x + 5, fully solve the

equation  x5 – 6x4 + 11x3 – x2 – 14x + 5 = 0.

They have given us a zero, so I'll use synthetic division and divide out 2 – i:

completed division

(You will probably want to use scratch paper for the computations required when doing complex division.)

Recall that, to arrive at a zero of 2 – i, they must have used the Quadratic Formula, which always spits out complex answers in pairs. That is, you get the imaginary part (the part with the "i") from having a negative inside the "plus or minus square-root of" part of the Formula. This means that, since 2 – i is a zero, then 2 + i must also be a zero.  So I'll divide by 2 + i:

completed division

This leaves me with a cubic, so I'll need to find another zero on my own. (That is, I can't apply the Quadratic Formula yet.) I can use the Rational Roots Test to help find potential zeroes, and a quick graph of x3 – 2x2 – 2x + 1 can help. I will try x = –1:

completed division

Now I'm down to a quadratic (x2

Step-by-step explanation: