To find the zeros of the quadratic function \( y = 6x^2 + 13x + 5 \), we can use the quadratic formula:
\[ x = \frac{{-b \pm \sqrt{{b^2 - 4ac}}}}{{2a}} \]
where \( a \), \( b \), and \( c \) are the coefficients from the quadratic equation \( ax^2 + bx + c \). In this case:
- \( a = 6 \)
- \( b = 13 \)
- \( c = 5 \)
Step 1: Compute the Discriminant
First, we calculate the discriminant \( b^2 - 4ac \):
\[ b^2 = 13^2 = 169 \]
\[ 4ac = 4 \times 6 \times 5 = 120 \]
Now, subtract \( 4ac \) from \( b^2 \):
\[ b^2 - 4ac = 169 - 120 = 49 \]
Step 2: Apply the Quadratic Formula
Now that we have the discriminant, we can substitute \( a \), \( b \), and the discriminant into the quadratic formula:
\[ x = \frac{{-13 \pm \sqrt{49}}}{{2 \cdot 6}} \]
Calculating \( \sqrt{49} = 7 \):
\[ x = \frac{{-13 \pm 7}}{{12}} \]
Step 3: Solve for the Two Values of \( x \)
Now split into the two possible solutions:
-
\( x_1 = \frac{{-13 + 7}}{{12}} = \frac{{-6}}{{12}} = -\frac{1}{2} \)
-
\( x_2 = \frac{{-13 - 7}}{{12}} = \frac{{-20}}{{12}} = -\frac{5}{3} \)
Summary of the Zeros
The zeros of the quadratic function \( y = 6x^2 + 13x + 5 \) are:
\[ x = -\frac{1}{2} \quad \text{and} \quad x = -\frac{5}{3} \]